Enemy Mine
by alexanya07
Summary: Bella and Edward have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?
1. Spin the Bottle

**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**

**(AU; Cannon Pairings; All Human; Rated M)**

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

_**I also took inspiration from many of the wonderful stories that I have read here and I wish that I could give credit to each of you. This is my attempt to finally give something back. I hope you enjoy it! **_

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Enemy Mine

Chapter One: "Spin the Bottle"

"Alice! Bella's here!" Emmet yelled swinging his arm around his new girlfriend shoulders as they sat on the couch. He and Rosalie had only been dating a week and she had never met his sister's best friend.

The door bell rang again as Alice came bounding down the stairs, her petite body gliding gracefully across the floor as she rounded the couch towards the front door. "Yay! Bella's here! Bella's here!" she sang.

"Yeah, just great," Edward grumbled sarcastically from across the room. "Why does the shrew have to stay here all week anyway? Doesn't she have any family of her own?"

"Dude, shut-up." Emmet threw a couch pillow and laughed as he nailed Edward in the face.

"Why doesn't Edward like Alice's friend?" Rosalie asked.

"It's a long, long story, Babe." Emmet replied. "Goes back longer than Alice and I have been around."

Rosalie turned her head to hear Alice giggling as she greeted Bella in the foyer. "But, I thought your parents had been married since you were little?"

"Yup! They had their tenth wedding anniversary last fall!" Emmet told her beaming at the happy memory. "So, when they got married, I guess Edward and I were… How old were we, dude?" he asked, looking back at his step-brother. "Seven? Eight?"

Edward didn't look up from his computer where it was perched on his lap. "You were eight. Alice and I were seven."

"That's right. So, Bella would have been seven too." Emmet went on. "Esme and Bella's mom, Rene, have been best friends since grade school. So Edward and Bella have known each other since they were babies. When dad and Esme got married Alice and Bella became like peas in a pod."

"BFFs!" Alice announced, hearing the end of Emmet's story as she lead Bella into the room. "Best Friends Forever!"

"Hey Bella! About time you got here." Emmet turned his head to look at them. "This is Rosalie. Rose, this is Bella."

"Hi, Rosalie!" Bella waved with a smile. "I'm glad to finally meet you! Emmet has been talking about you forever! Going on and on and on …. I didn't think he'd ever ask you out." She leaned over the back of the couch and punched Emmet in the shoulder lightly as she teased him. "I'm glad to see you finally got the guts, Big Guy. And you are right…. She does have the prettiest blond hair." Bella beamed innocently.

Rosalie's face lit up. "Emmet! Is that true? Did you say that? Awww, you're so sweet!" she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Emmet glared up at Bella playfully, "I don't know whether to thank you or throw you out for that, Bells. Has anyone ever told you that you've got a big mouth?"

"I vote for throwing her out." Edward grumbled."

Bella looked over at Edward for the first time, lounging across the room in a pair of faded jeans and a tight gray T-shirt. "Well, hello to you too, Troll," she sneered. "I was wondering what that smell was." Edward looked up from his computer and glared at her. She did her best to glare back but, the truth was, she felt like her eyes were going to pop out of her head. Damn, he was wearing his glasses. Why did he have to be one of those guys who looked sexy in glasses? She hated him. HATED him! The fact that made her heart beat faster every time she saw him did not change that.

"Are we seriously going to be stuck with your presence for the entire week of Spring Break?" Edward asked, interrupting her stare. Why did she have to look at him like that? It was like she was baiting him; daring him not to stare back. The bitch - she _had_ to know how gorgeous she was, even though she acted like she didn't have a clue. Fate had been completely unfair to him. She was supposed to get ugly as she got older, or at least stay stuck in that gangling stage she was in a few years back. But, damn it! She just got hotter every time he saw her and that completely sucked!

"OK, so I already got that you two don't like each other much." Rosalie interjected. "But I never finished hearing the story of why."

"That's the mystery, Babe," Emmet told her. "No one really knows why."

"He's obnoxious"

"She's a pain in the ass."

"He's a rude prick"

"She an annoying bitch."

Alice threw her hands up, "Enough! I swear we are NOT going to listen to this all week. So, each of you to your corners."

"Wait," Rosalie said, "Seriously? You have no idea why they can't stand each other?"

"Something to do with root bear," Emmet told her.

Edward groaned.

"Do not bring up the unmentionable Root Bear incident, Em!" Bella said without humor.

"Corners!" Alice yelled again shaking a finger at both Bella and Edward to emphasize her point. "I mean it! This is our Spring Break so you guys have to try to be civil at least, OK?"

"Would you settle for total avoidance?" Edward asked. The less time he had to spend trying NOT to check out Bella's perfect figure the better.

"Fine. That works for me." Bella replied, trying to ignore the fact his remark had actually hurt her feelings. Was her presence that unbearable to him?

Alice sighed and led Bella around to the front of the couch. Plopping them both down on the floor in front of Emmett and Rosalie, she faced Edward and continued. "No, that's not good enough. We are having a party tonight, after all, and we are all going to be there together. So, I want both of you to give me your word that you will not fight with each other tonight." Bella and Edward both glared at her. "Come on! You have the rest of the week to try out your new insults. Just give us one night of peace. Do it for me."

One thing that Edward and Bella had in common was their love for Alice and she knew this.

"OK, Al." Bella spoke up first. "I, at least, promise to be perfectly polite tonight no matter what venom is spewed at me."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll bite my tongue for one night."

Alice beamed at the success of her diplomacy… or guilt-trip. Whichever, she'd gotten her way.

"What time is everyone arriving tonight?" Rosalie asked.

"About seven, which only gives us another three hours to get ready?" Alice switched into party-planning-mode with enthusiasm. "I have jobs for each of you and you'd better get them done BEFORE people start to get here."

Since Alice had a way of infecting people with her enthusiasm, everyone willing accepted their assignments and everything was in place by the time the first guest arrived. Rosalie and Emmett had taken the assignment of official greeters, answering the door and making sure everyone felt welcome. It was just after 7:00 when the door bell sounded.

"Eeek! Do you think that could be Jasper?" Alice squealed. She was upstairs with Bella as they finished getting ready in her room.

"Hold still!" Bella scolded her best friend with a laugh as she continued trying to pin Alice's wrap-around skirt tighter so it wouldn't fall off her tiny waste. "If it is, Jasper, you don't want to rush downstairs and seem too eager, do you?"

"But, I'm hostess, right? Shouldn't I greet him?"

"You gave that job to Em and Rose, remember? Come one, Alice, you and I both know that this entire party was cooked up by you for the sole purpose of giving you a chance to catch Jasper's attention. Now, don't blow it by ruining your perfect entrance. You have to make him wait just a bit."

Alice turned to face Bella. "How do I look?"

"Perfect!" Bella said with an encouraging smile. "He won't be able to take his eyes off of you!"

Alice's face fell when she looked at Bella. "Hardly," she sighed. "Not after he gets a look at you. Bella, you are stunning!"

"Whatever." Bella rolled her eyes and turned to look in the mirror. She wore a tight royal-blue sweater with a low V-neck that stopped just short of showing her cleavage. The blue matched her eyes perfectly and her long, dark hair fell full around her shoulders and down her back. Black jeans clung to her curves while her black heeled boots made her legs look longer. "I wish I'd found a more stylish outfit for tonight. I feel so plain."

"Believe me, Bella. You do NOT look plain."

"Not that it matters." Bella shrugged. "It's not like there is anyone I'm trying to impress. This night is all yours, Alice. You are the belle of this ball, so just remember that…. And make Jasper drool!"

Alice laughed and hugged her. "Thanks for the pep-talk. You're the best! Now I really can't wait any more. Time to make my entrance."

Bella hung back at the top of the stairs watching as Alice descended. The doorbell had continued to sound several times and the house was already filling with guests. Bella could hear Emmett and Rosalie laughing with several friends but she wasn't sure if Jasper was among them. She wanted to be sure Alice was alone when she first greeted him, so she strained to hear any sign that he had arrived.

"Are you just going to hide up here and ease drop all night?" Edward asked suddenly from behind her making Bella jump.

"Damn it, Cullen! I know you hate me, but do you have to try to give me a heart attack?" She whirled around to yell at him some more, but stopped short when she saw him. And then she, basically, stopped breathing.

Holy shit, he looked amazing!

Edward was dressed in a pair of faded blue jean and a white button-down shirt that was slightly unbuttoned. The crispness of his outfit was offset by his messy bronze hair that he pushed off his forehead as he watched her. His glasses were long gone and his brilliant green eyes arched up as he gave her a crooked smile.

"If that was all it took to give you a heart attach, Bella, I think you'd have died a long time ago." Edward focused on appearing casual and keeping his voice controlled. He couldn't let Bella know that his own heart had stopped the moment she turned around. He had been fighting his attraction to her for a long time, but he had never been as affected by her as he was in that moment. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. And the way that sweater clung to her made it nearly impossible to keep his eyes on her face. There was no way he was going to keep his dignity intact long if he had to continue looking at her as her chest rose and fell to steady her breathing. Moving passed her without another word he descended the stairs quickly to put some distance between them.

Bella watched Edward as he walked away and bit her lips as she noticed how the jeans showed off his tight ass. What was she thinking? She shouldn't be checking out his ass, she should be thinking about how he IS an ass! She slumped against the wall. This was getting entirely out of hand. She had always had a little crush on Edward, but he had clearly hated her since birth. He could actually be sweet at times and she'd seen him be very good to Alice for years, but he was so mean to her. Of course she was mean back. But he started it! After all, he was the one who poured the Root Bear in her hair, not the other way around… But she was not going to think about the dreaded Root Bear incident tonight. She had promised Alice civility and she'd come through even if it killed her.

A quick fluff of her hair and straitening of her sweater and Bella decided it was time she joined the party. She walked at a slow pace to make certain Edward was long out of her path and listen for any sound of Alice and Jasper. She didn't hear them, but she spotted them as soon as she got to the bottom of the stairs. They were standing together across the room having what appeared to be a private conversation. Alice was beaming, her hands clasped flirtatiously behind her back as she smiled up at Jasper. It made Bella feel warm all over to see Alice having success. She'd pined for Jasper for so long and she really deserved to find someone to make her happy.

Bella thought she'd be willing to help Alice in any way if it meant she could make progress with Jasper, but when Alice came to her with a request about half way through the evening Bella almost had a change of heart. The night had been pleasant, but relatively uneventful. It was a crowd of close friends from school, not an open invitation party. That was the agreement that had been reached when the parents consented to being "out of town" while the event took place. Bella had spent most of the evening sitting on the couch talking with Angela and Jessica, listening to them both giggle while trying to attract Ben and Mike's attention. It wasn't exactly boring, although Bella thought that they might as well have been sitting in the lunch room for all the difference it would make. When Alice dashed over and pulled Bella up from the couch, she was glad for the interruption.

"I have to talk to you in the kitchen," Alice whispered as she dragged Bella along.

"What's up, Al?" she asked. "This is the first time I've seen you away from Jasper all evening. I thought things were going well?"

They reached the kitchen and Alice quickly closed the door, blocking out the party noise. "It is! It's going so well, that I want to try to push it a little further. You have to help me, OK?"

"Of course, I'll help. What do you need me to do?"

"I want to get us all to play Spin the Bottle."

"What!?" Bella laughed. "Oh, come on, Alice. No one is going to want to play that stupid game. It's silly. I mean, maybe if we were still in the 5th grade, but half the people out there are seniors!"

"I know, I know. It's lame. But, it's the perfect opportunity to force Japer to act. Just listen." Alice pleaded. "If I end up having to kiss someone else, then Japer will realize that he is jealous. If he ends up having to kiss someone else, he'll realize he wishes it was me. And if we end up having to kiss each other… well, then the sparks will just fly on their own!"

"I don't know, Alice. This plan feels like a potential for disaster if you ask me." Bella told her. "Besides, you'll never get anyone else to go along with it."

"Go along with what?" Jessica asked as she and Angela came through the door.

Bella glanced at Alice who was begging with her eyes. "Alice wants to play Spin the Bottle," she sighed. "I told her we are all way too old for that game."

"I think it's a great idea!" Angela cried.

"Oh, I do too!" Jessica followed. "We've got to do something to get some action started around here. No offense, Alice, it's a great party. Just a tad bit tame, if you know what I mean."

"You can't be serious? I'm not playing that stupid game!"

"Bella, please!" Alice whined. "You have to! If you back out others will too. PLEASE!!!"

Bella groaned and Alice took that as a yes. She ushered all of them out of the kitchen before anymore protest could be voiced and called out for Emmett across the room.

"Emmett! Gather everyone together! We're going to do something fun!"

They quickly assembled the group into a large circle, pushing the couch and chairs aside to make room, and Alice explained the game.

Everyone laughed like she'd just made the most ridiculous joke.

"What is so funny?" Alice asked innocently. "It will be fun."

"Forget it! I'm not playing." Edward started to get up, but Alice pulled him back down beside her on the floor.

"Come on, Edward, please?" she asked him quietly.

Edward tried not to glance over at Bella sitting directly across the circle from him. Tried, and failed. She looked nervous, even embarrassed. Then he noticed that several of the guys in the circle were also staring at her. No doubt they were considering their chances of pointing the bottle in HER direction. Edward growled under his breath. This idea was definitely bad, but he just couldn't disappoint Alice.

"Fine." He said, knowing that his decision to remain would keep others in the game. "But you so owe me, Alice."

Alice smiled sweetly. "OK, so this is how it works. Everyone has to get one kiss. We'll take turns spinning the bottle and when you've had a kiss, you step out of the circle. And, if anyone refuses to kiss, they have to stay in for the whole game. "

"I'm not kissing anyone but Rosalie!" Emmett protested.

"It's not like you have to give them tongue, Em!" Alice glared at him for interrupting. "But it has to be more than just a peck too! Otherwise, what's the fun?"

"This is so stupid," Edward mumbled and Alice elbowed his ribs. "What if the bottle points to someone of the same sex… or a sibling? No way I'm kissing Emmett!" He smiled so she knew he was trying to kid her. Everyone laughed.

"If it's a guy, you can spin again, Edward." Alice told him. "And if it's me, you can kiss my cheek. But only because we are related! No other excuses."

"OK, we've got it. Let's get going." Jessica said eagerly. "Who is going to go first?"

"Go ahead, Jess." Alice rolled the empty glass bottle towards her.

Jessica reached forward to retrieve the bottle, purposely leaning down so her top gapped and her bra was clearly visible. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and spun the bottle with force. When it finally stopped it was pointed at Eric. She didn't exactly hide her disappointment and neither did Eric. They were good sports about it, though, and shared a decent kiss before stepping out of the circle and perching on the couch to watch the rest of the game.

Bella's stomach was in knots. She looked around the circle without finding one guy she felt OK about kissing. What if SHE got Jasper? Alice would be crushed and maybe even mad at her all Spring Break. But she certainly didn't want someone like Mike. The thought literally made her gag. The longer she considered her options the angrier she became that Alice was making them all do this. She loved Alice, but this was really asking too much. She wished she could just fake an asthma attack and run upstairs. Too bad she didn't have asthma.

Lauren had just finished trying to eat off Ben's mouth, which made Angela's eye tear up, when Alice rolled the bottled in Bella's direction and sang out, "You're up, girlfriend!"

Bella looked at the bottle like it was a snake. "Fine," she signed, knowing she might as well get it over with. How bad could it be? She closed her eyes and gave the bottle a quick spin. After a few seconds she opened her eyes just in time to watch the bottle come to a stop pointing directly across from her. Directly at Edward.

Everyone in the room went instantly silent as Bella and Edward looked up at each other. In unison their eyes locked. Their jaws dropped. Then they both exclaimed, "No fucking way!"

Emmett broke the remaining silence with the full force of his belly laugh. "Oh, Alice! You were right, this is brilliant! Remind me never to doubt your ideas again. This makes my whole night!"

"Shut up, Emmett!" Bella snapped. "This is NOT funny!"

Emmett continued to laugh. "Are you kidding? You and Edward? This is priceless!"

"There is no way I'm kissing him!" Bella snapped in panic, looking at Alice.

Alice cringed, realizing that two of her favorite people were quite possibly going to be pissed at her for a very long time. "Well…" she stuttered.

"Oh no!" Jessica butted in, still pouting from having to waste her kiss on Eric. "We all agreed to the rules."

"Yeah, no exceptions!" Emmett agreed, meeting Bella's glare without flinching.

"Forget it!" Bella yelled again, trying to disguise her embarrassment with anger. She couldn't kiss Edward here in front of everyone. They'd never stop making fun of her. It wasn't that the idea of kissing him didn't have appeal. But she couldn't do it with an audience. Not him! Not to mention that he would certainly hate kissing her and tell everyone how horrible it was. It would be too humiliating. "It's not like you can make me do it!" she continued when everyone kept staring at her. "It's just a silly game!"

"Oh, get over yourself, Swan!" Edward snapped suddenly sitting up on his knees and leaning across the circle towards her. He had been so preoccupied watching all the guys who were obviously hoping to get paired with Bella that he never considered he might be the one to kiss her. If she refused to kiss him, though, she would have to stay in the game and probably kiss several of the jerks who were drooling over her. He didn't know why that idea bothered him but it did.

Bella watched Edward stalk towards her on his hands and knees. She could feel the pounding of her heart all the way to her throat and she tried to swallow without being obvious. Slowly she rose up on her knees too and made a show of grimacing. Edward rolled his eyes and, without hesitation, grabbed the back of her neck to roughly pull her face to his. Bella's lips were parted in shock when they kissed and Edward immediately tasted the sweet flavor of her mouth. He briefly wondered what she would do if he slipped his tongue past her teeth, just to get a little more taste, but the small part of his mind that was still working knew that would be a bad idea. Bella put her hands on his shoulders to shove against him, but he pressed her face closer and moved his lips with hers feeling more of their smooth texture. Her knees began to go weak. She forgot about pushing him away and pulled on his bottom lip instead. Edward opened his mouth and she felt the warmth coming from him. It was beyond incredible.

The room erupted with squeals and whistles. Everyone was surprised and amused by the stunt. Edward pulled back from the kiss as suddenly as he had initiated it and, although it had only lasted a couple of seconds, Bella found herself short of breath. She watched as Edward sat back on his side of the circle as if he had just taken care of a trivial matter.

"See? You didn't die." Edward said to her flippantly, not looking the least bit affected by what had just happened.

Bella glared at him. She honestly couldn't think of another way to react without looking like a fool and she didn't trust herself to use her voice yet. She had pictured herself kissing him before, but never imagined anything as amazing as that. Edward's kiss had made her whole body quiver but she'd be damned if she let him know how much she liked it.

Edward just glared back. What the hell was she so pissed about, anyway? Was kissing him that disgusting to her? It certainly hadn't been disgusting to him. It was all he could do not to run his tongue over his lips and try to recapture some of the taste of her. Damn! She was just so sweet he had almost lost it. If he hadn't heard their friends start to cheer he would have had her flat on her back in another second.

Bella got up from the circle and stalked over to the far wall without a word, trying to ignore her shaky legs. Edward moved out of the circle too while the game continued, but he couldn't stop his gaze from continually moving back to her. He was pretty sure he caught her looking at him too.

Seriously, what the fuck was that? Sure, she was hot, even if she was a shrew, so kissing her should be a pleasant experience. But that didn't explain what had just happened between them? It was like a simple kiss had turned him completely inside out! The entire room was still fuzzy and all he could focus on was her and that damn, tight sweater! This was so not good.

The rest of the game played out with limited drama. Emmett played the good guy and gave Angela a sweet kiss that made her blush scarlet. Rosalie got stuck kissing Mike, which made Emmett change his mind about the brilliance of Alice's game. Alice wasn't too concerned with her brother's anger, however, when Jasper spun the bottle to point directly at her. In classic Alice fashion, her plan worked brilliantly and she got her kiss. Not her last kiss of the evening either, as it turned out.

Most of the guests had cleared out by 1:30 a.m. It wouldn't go down as the wildest party ever, but it was fun. Alice was still cuddled on the couch with her mouth attached to Jasper's, exactly as they had been for the past two hours. Evidently the main goal of the party had been achieved with great success. Bella watched them from the doorway of the kitchen while she tossed empty cans into the garbage. It was hard to stay mad at Alice when she looked so happy. Her eyes were closed as Japer kissed her cheek, then her neck. Bella touched her mouth and remembered what Edward's lips had felt like against hers. She wondered what it would be like if Edward kissed her the way Jasper was kissing Alice…

"What's wrong with you?" Edward said from beside her.

Bella jumped at the sound of his voice and dropped the empty can she'd been holding.

"I should ask YOU that question," she said through clenched teeth. "What is this need you have to sneak up on me tonight?"

"Hardly sneaking," Edward snorted. "You were so far away you wouldn't have noticed the football team running through here. What were you thinking about?"

Bella's face went beet red before she could stop it.

Edward noticed and grinned.

She silently cursed her constant blushing and turned away from him. "Nothing!" she snapped. "What do you want?"

Edward ignored her attempt to change of subject. "Nothing, huh?" he followed her further into the kitchen. "You were thinking awfully hard about _nothing._"

"Shut up, Edward. Just because you don't know how to have a thought that goes deeper than what's in your pants, doesn't mean other people can't."

"Why are you so interested in what's in my pants all of a sudden?" he continued to mock her.

Bella growled loudly in frustration and slammed an open cabinet door. "Again, Edward, what do you want?!" she asked angrily turning to lean against the counter and face him.

Edward continued to step closer to her, "I want to know what you were thinking about so intently just now."

Bella felt her heart rate pick up again. Why was he looking at her like that? Her breathing was getting shallow. Did he notice?

He noticed.

Bella wasn't that good at hiding her emotions. He thought she might have been as affected by their kiss as he had been. He was pretty sure he had just caught her thinking about trying it again and, damn it, if he hadn't been thinking about that same thing all night.

"I told you, I wasn't thinking about anything," Bella finally remembered to answer him. "I was just watching …. I mean, I was happy to see that Alice and Jasper… that they were…." Bella's stumbling only made Edward's grin wider. He knew he had her rattled. "Oh! Stop being such an ass, Edward!"

"What about my ass?" he teased.

Bella knew he was out-witting her and it pissed her off. There was no way she was letting him win this round. She took a deep breath and folded her arms across her chest.

"Well, I suppose you should hope that your ass is enough to make up for your rather mediocre kissing skills," she told him demurely.

Edward's grin instantly fell. She'd surprised him. Not only did SHE take the initiative to be the first to bring up the kiss, but she somehow put him on the defensive.

"Mediocre?" he asked doubtfully, raising one eye-brow and trying to give his best cocky grin.

Bella didn't back down. "Mediocre, at best!" she informed him smugly.

"So, you're saying you've had better?"

"Oh, please," Bella rolled her eyes, but didn't really answer his questions.

"Have you?" he pressed.

"Have _you_?" she asked back, and immediately regretted it.

Edward didn't answer for a long time. They both had their arms crossed and they were standing so close to each other now that their elbows nearly touched. Bella was very aware when Edward's gaze shifted from her eyes to her mouth.

"Hmmm," he finally spoke. "That is a difficult question to answer considering …"

"Considering what?" Bella asked. What the hell did that mean? What was Edward playing at now?

"Well, you found my kissing skills mediocre at best which, I promise, they are not. So…"

"So, what?"

"So, apparently it was impossible to make an accurate judgment under those circumstances."

Bella looked at him confused.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it is better this way," Edward told her as he began to back towards door. "Without a proper kiss to judge by, I can't know for certain that you really ARE that bad at it."

"What?!"

"So, your secret is safe with me, Bella," Edward grinned and walked out of the kitchen, heading for the stairs.

What the fuck had just happened? How had he turned this around on her? Bella was so angry her hands were fisted at her sides. Bad at it, was she? She was not letting him get away with that.

Edward was already passed the landing by the time Bella followed. She charged up the stairs and caught up with him as he entered in his room.

"Wait just a damn second!" she screamed at him as she stormed into his room and slammed the door.

Edward suppressed a grin, loving that he'd gotten her so riled up.

"Yes, Bella?" He turned to face her calmly, anticipating the tirade of arguments that would only make her more flustered.

"I am not a bad kisser." She informed him, putting her hands on his hips and staring up at him.

He looked down at her, noticing how her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were dilated. "Is that a fact?" He smirked in reply.

Bella smirked back. "You tell me!" she challenged a split second before she grabbed the back of his neck with both of her hands and yanked him down to her level so she could kiss him full on the mouth.

Edward had definitely NOT expected that, but it didn't take his body long to react. He wrapped his arms around Bella's waste and hauled her up against him. Their bodies rubbed together and they both let out an involuntary moan. Bella gripped Edward's neck tightly and moved her fingers into his hair. She kissed him hard, holding nothing back. Edward reacted by pushing her across the room until her body slammed into his desk. As if in sync, they both opened their mouths and flooded their senses with the taste of each other. This time Edward didn't stop himself from sliding his tongue past her teeth and feeling the inside of her warm mouth. Bella shocked him again, though, when she pulled his tongue in deeper and sucked on it. That proved to be his undoing. No one had ever made him feel like this before.

Edward's hands were suddenly at her waste, lifting her until she sat on his desk. Bella had never intended for things to go this far but she instinctively locked her legs around him and gasped loudly as he rubbed himself against her. Their lips having finally parted, Edward moved his mouth to her neck and kissed a line down to her collar bone. Bella tried to breath but all she could manage were short pants and moans. The sounds she made were driving Edward insane. He moved his hands from her waste to finally caress that damn blue sweater he'd been obsessing on all evening. As he sucked on Bella's pulse point, his hand cautiously moved to one of her perfect mounds covered by the soft material. Bella's nails racked down Edward's back as she pressed herself closer telling him without words to continue his touching. Edward brought his other hand up to feel the second breast and squeezed them both at the same time.

Bella thought she was going to die. She arched her back while she grabbed Edward's face and kissed him again. His mouth was hungry on hers, like they were both starving for the same thing. Bella ran her fingers across Edward's toned stomach, trying to remember how she had gotten his shirt unbuttoned. Damn, she had never realized how muscular his abs were under his hot skin. Edward moaned into her mouth as she continued to stroke his chest frantically. He slipped his hands underneath the back of her sweater and rubbed his palms over her smooth back until he got to her bra clasp.

"Edward, are you in there? Have you seen Bella?" Alice called cheerfully as she knocked once on Edward's door and tuned the knob to open it…

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_**If people like this story and want to know what happens next, let me know I promise to update SOON!**_

_**~Alexanya**_


	2. Can't Keep My Hands Off Of You

**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

_**Thank you to everyone who reviewed Chapter One! I was so touched by the response that I was determined to update for all of you as soon as I could. I hope you continue to enjoy this!**_

Enemy Mine

Chapter Two: "Can't Keep My Hands Off Of You"

"Edward, are you in there? Have you seen Bella?" Alice called cheerfully as she knocked once on Edward's door and tuned the knob to open it.

Edward and Bella froze when they heard Alice's voice. Edward's arms tightened around Bella's back, holding her still. Bella slowly moved her mouth from Edward's, sliding it over to his cheek and trying not to make a sound. She prayed that Alice hadn't already heard their moaning.

"Alice, Jasper is looking for you!" Emmett's booming voice could be heard from downstairs. "He says he needs to get going."

"Oh, wait!" Alice cried abandoning the door as her soft footsteps tapped down the hall.

As soon as she was gone Bella let out the breath she'd been holding and Edward slowly eased her out of his arms. Their hearts were pounding together, both from their passion and the fear of getting caught. Edward gently lowered Bella from the desk while keeping a cautious eye on the door. Alice was bound to reappear eventually and they both wanted to get Bella out of Edward's room before that happened. Bella's feet hit the floor and she wavered unsteadily. Edward reached out to balance her and their eyes met. For just a brief moment their gazes held a flash of confusion and uncertainty, but their erratic breathing and close proximity instantly over-rode caution with desire.

Suddenly they were kissing again.

Edward's hands moved to Bella's face as he nipped at her lips over and over. Bella dragged her hands down his back to finally grab his tight ass. The feel of her hands made him groan and Bella remember to worry about being overheard. Alice would be back. She had to get out of there. She started to make her way back towards the door. Edward followed her with his hands on her shoulders while he continued to tease her mouth. When Bella made it to the door he pressed her against it and settled his mouth securely on hers. Bella's hands went to his hair and she rose up on her tip toes to kiss him back. Their lips molded around each other's as her hand grouped for the door knob. If she didn't get out fast there was no telling what Alice was going to walk in on.

The knob made a click as it turned and when Edward heard it he reluctantly broke the kiss. Bella turned and cracked the door to peer into the hall. It looked and sounded empty, so she slowly opened the door further and stuck her head out. Edward came up behind her, his hand on her shoulders, and checked the hall too. Bella took a step out, but Edward grabbed her chin to turn her face back so he could quickly kiss her again. She gave him a kiss in return as she backed into the hall. He started to take another step towards her, his eyes dark, but she put her hands on his chest to hold him back. She had to get some space between them and fast! She sprinted quietly down the hall and into the bathroom, just as she heard Alice's footsteps on the stairs again.

Bella closed the bathroom door and slumped against it. What in the hell had just happened? Did she step into a parallel dimension? Had an alien taken over her mind? She had just had the hottest, most passionate experience of her life… with Edward Cullen! What fucking universe was she in?

She ran to the sink and turned the faucet on cold. Leaning over, she ran her hands under the water and dabbed the coolness on her face. She reached for a towel and looked up into the mirror, gasping when she saw her appearance. Her hair was a tangled mess. She tried to smooth it but that made her think of how Edward had run his fingers through it when he kissed her. Remembering those kisses made her look at her lips. They were bright red and swollen from the pressure of his mouth. Bella tried to swallow but found her mouth had gone dry. Just as she started thinking about how warm and wet the inside of Edward's mouth had been, a knock at the door startled her out of her haze.

"Bella, are you in there?" Alice called from the other side.

Bella tried to answer her, but couldn't find her voice.

"Bella?" Alice asked again in concern.

"I'm fine!" Bella quickly replied before Alice could open the door. She wished she had thought to lock it. "Um, I'm mean, yeah, I'm in here. I'll be out in a second. OK?"

"What's the matter? Are you sick?"

"I'm just feeling a little funny." Bella tried to make her voice sound normal but it was still an octave too high. "Don't worry about me. It's nothing."

Alice was silent for a moment. "You're mad at me, aren't you?" she asked sadly.

"What? No! Of course not!" Bella replied. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Oh, come on, Bella. You're my best friend. You don't have to be like that." Alice still sounded sincerely sad. "You have every right to be mad at me and I really am sorry for what happened."

Bella was too busy trying to straiten her appearance before Alice came through the door to figure out what she was talking about. Apparently Alice took her silence to be a confirmation of anger and continued pleadingly.

"Please forgive me, Bella! You have to believe that I never even considered you'd be forced to kiss Edward! It was a stupid game and I'm so sorry your night was ruined."

Bella smirked at herself in the mirror. "It's OK, Alice. Really."

"No, it's not. And it's better if we just get it out in the open now. Please." Alice went on. "I know Edward is mad at me. He wouldn't even answer his bedroom door when I knocked.

Bella suppressed a grin and started to feel guilty for the way Alice was berating herself. "Really, Alice, I'm over it. Like your brother said, nobody died. And your plan DID work out perfectly for you and Japer."

Alice giggled. "Yeah, it did…. But I feel like I used you."

Bella opened the door, feeling calmer now, and smiled at Alice. "You did. But that's what best friends are for." She put her arm around Alice's shoulder and started walking back down the hall. "So, next time I need a big favor, I know you'll be there for me too."

Alice swung her arm around Bella waist. "Without a doubt!"

Bella continued to steer Alice down the hall, refusing to even glance in the direction of Edward's room. Only Emmett and Rosalie were downstairs now and, not really wanting to walk in on THAT, they camped out in Alice's room for the night. As they changed out of their party clothes Alice began prattling on about Jasper. It seemed that he was quite possibly the most interesting person on the planet, at least according to Alice, and every physical attribute about him, down to the smell of his breath, was perfection. Bella just nodded and grinned at her, feeling grateful that she didn't need to contribute to the conversation herself because her mind was on someone entirely different.

She still couldn't make sense of what had happened; or even comes to terms with the fact that it actually _had_ happened. She had meant to kiss Edward, to surprise him with a good, hard kiss that would make his head spin and leave him reeling when she smugly walked away. That was going to knock him off his high horse and give her back the upper hand. Somehow it hadn't quite worked out that way, though. Oh, she was pretty sure she had made his head spin… and that was putting it mildly. But he had absolutely set her on fire! She had never felt anything like it, not even close. It was like she couldn't get enough of him and he seemed to be affected by her in the exact same way.

What the hell was that? They hated each other! They had known each other all of their lives and consistently drove each other crazy. Well, apparently they STILL drove each other crazy, but now in an entirely different way. She remembered his look of desire just after Alice had interrupted them; and the way his intense eyes were nearly dark with passion when she finally pulled away from him. Oh, yeah, she KNEW he was affected by her too. So, what did that mean? What was he thinking about all of this right now?

Two doors down the hall at that moment the _he _in question was also thinking about Bella's visit to his room. Thinking about it, replaying it, and gritting his teeth against his now very unsatisfied body. She just might literally be trying to kill him this time.

Why the hell had she done that? Why had she kissed him? Why had she welcomed his hands all over her soft body? Didn't she hate him? Didn't he disgust her?

He knew the answer, of course, just as he knew Bella was terrible at hiding her emotions. He didn't disgust her, any more than she disgusted him. She felt the magnetic pull between them physically just as he did, and it seemed she had grown as tired of fighting it as he had. So, while the animosity that was always between them still existed, it was being over-powered by this craving that, for some reason, they had for each other. Figuring out where that physical need came from was much less important to Edward at the moment than figuring out how he could get Bella alone again… soon.

It was closer to early afternoon than morning by the time the house began to wake up. Since Carlisle and Esme were still away for the weekend the kitchen was empty when Bella and Alice went in search of breakfast.

"What a mess," Alice sighed, noticing the over-flowing garbage and pile of dishes on the counter.

"It's not so bad," Bella tried to speak through a yawn. She hadn't gotten a lot of sleep the night before and when she did sleep she dreamed. She worried that Alice might have hear her moaning in a few of those dreams, but surly she would have said something if she had actually heard her cry out Edward's name. Talking in your sleep really was a curse. Maybe Alice had been too lost in her own dreams of Jasper to pay her any attention.

Alice walked over to the cabinet and pull down several box of cold cereal. Bella grabbed two bowls and two spoons. After ten years of sleep-over's, she knew the routine. The sun was shining through the kitchen window and it looked like they might get a rare sunny day. March in Forks was usually rainy and cold, making it feel more like Christmas Break than Spring Break. But every once in a while, they were gifted with a spring day that was more than Bella's home town of Phoenix.

"Maybe we can lie out today!" Alice noted eagerly. "Make it look like we went somewhere warm for the break."

"I figured you'd want to see Jasper today. Strike while the iron is hot, and all that."

"Oh, that iron is 'hot' believe me!" Alice giggled making Bella laugh too. "That's why I want him to come over and _see_ me sun bathing!"

Edward heard Bella's laughter as he came down the stairs. The sound instantly tightened his chest and did strange things to his lower regions. Damn, he wanted to see her! He'd been listening for them to get up for hours and he couldn't wait any longer. What the fuck had the shrew done to him? He should have called her a witch the way she caste a spell over him,

Edward was half way through the kitchen door when he saw Bella standing there with Alice. No, not a witch…. Make that a _goddess! _ What was the chick trying to DO to him? Bella wore a light-pink cami that was only a shade darker than her rosy skin and a pair of thin, cotton shorts that would surly show her ass cheeks when she turned around. Why didn't she just parade around in a lace teddy if she wanted to kill him? On second thought, her current outfit was even hotter than that. Damn, he needed to touch her soon.

Bella looked up at Edward when he came to the door. Their eyes didn't meet, though, because he was obviously checking out other areas of her body. The way he looked at her made her heart skip a beat and her face instantly heat up. The last time they had been together they had to practically pry their hands off each other. She had been wondering if that feeling would fade during the night. Looking at him now, she knew it had only intensified. She suddenly wished Alice was somewhere else.

"Hey," Edward finally managed to tare his eyes away from Bella's bare skin to walk the remaining distance into the room.

"Morning, sleepy-head!" Alice chimed taking a spoonful of Captain Crunch. "Or, maybe I should say, 'Good Afternoon'?"

Bella stared down into her bowl of cereal, not trusting herself to look at Edward while Alice was paying attention. Edward moved passed her to get a glass out of the cabinet. His arm brushed against hers purposely, sending a warm feeling down to her stomach.

"Do you think I should call Jasper and ask him to come over?" Alice's question was probably meant for Bella but she didn't have a chance to reply before Alice went on. "Or maybe I should wait for him to call me."

Bella watched Edward's broad back as he faced the counter across from her and poured some juice. She wished she could rub her hands over his shoulder blades like she'd done last night.

"I wish we hadn't slept so late. What if he already tried to call?" Alice continued, completely unaware of the tension building in the room.

Edward turned and looked right at Bella. She didn't move her gaze from his and their eyes stayed locked for a moment.

"Edward, you didn't hear the home phone ring this morning, did you?" Alice asked.

Edward quickly moved his stare from Bella's and looked at Alice, but she wasn't even looking at him when she asked the question. She was staring at the phone on the wall like it had somehow betrayed her. Edward went back to looking at Bella as he answered, "No, it didn't ring, Alice. I'm sure Jasper would use your cell if he called."

Bella gave Edward a sly smile and looked back down into her cereal bowl. Her stomach was too tide up in knots to eat. Edward walked across the kitchen slowly to where the boxes of cereal were lined up behind Bella.

"If? What do you mean 'if he called?' You don't think he is going to call?" Alice asked in panic.

Edward rolled his eyes and turned to look at his sister. "I meant if he had already called, which he hasn't."

Alice was still looking at the house phone in doubt. Edward took advantage of her distraction to lean in closer to Bella until his thigh was pressing against hers. She pretended not to notice while his hand traveled up her bare arm and across her shoulder before he reached behind her to grab the box of Captain Crunch. Her whole body shivered at his touch. Edward stepped back casually and they fought not to look at each other.

"You think he'll call, right Bella?" Alice was sounding genuinely worried.

"Oh course he'll call, Al." Bella answered as she turned her back to set her uneaten cereal aside. Edward passed her again on his way to get the milk out of the refrigerator. He noticed how high her shorts rose up as she leaned over the counter and couldn't stop himself from pinching her ass cheek as he walked by. Bella bit her lip and choked down a squeal, grateful that Alice couldn't see her face.

"You're right," Alice moved from staring at the phone to staring into her cereal bowl. "Jasper isn't like other guys. He'll call me."

Edward had filled his bowl and was casually pouring milk on his cereal by the time Bella recovered enough to turn around. She smirked at him and he winked at her. Damn, how did he make a simple wink look so suggestive? She could feel herself growing hot just by the stare he was giving her. Even her breathing was picking up. Surly Alice would notice if she didn't calm down soon.

"My cell! I left it in my room. " Alice suddenly dashed out of the kitchen like her shoes were on fire, exclaiming, "Oh, I'm such an idiot!" as she ran upstairs.

The moment Alice was gone, Bell and Edward moved. Edward literally yanked Bella into his arms and slammed his mouth down on hers just as her fingers fisted in his hair. Edward's hands grabbed her ass and lifted her whole body up against his. Bella tried to keep quiet but she couldn't stop the whimpers that escaped as Edward's fingers slipped under her cotton shorts and kneaded her bare flesh. She rocked her pelvis against his even as her toes barely touched the ground. Edward grunted at that but their lips never separated for a moment. They sucked on each other greedily, their tongues stroking and tasting; their hands touching everywhere they could reach.

Alice's fast footsteps came bounding back down the stairs and Edward nearly dropped Bella. They both staggered back from each other quickly, trying to catch their breath and straiten their appearance. Edward brushed his fingers through his messy hair in a way that was so sexy Bella had to force herself to turn away from him.

"You can relax now," Alice announced as she came back into the kitchen.

"What?" both Edward and Bella asked before they realized how guilty they sounded.

Of course Alice didn't notice. "I didn't miss a call from Japer," she announced.

"Oh, good." Bella tried to sound supportive while fighting to catch her breath. "I'm glad he hadn't called yet."

"Yeah, me too." Alice's face fell, "But, why do you think he hasn't called yet?"

"I assume we are discussing the new prince in Alice's life." Emmett grumbled as he joined them. "In what new way is Jasper perfect this morning?'

"He's not perfect, apparently." Edward informed him, going back to his now soggy cereal, the taste of Bella still in his mouth. "He hasn't called her yet."

"I'm not holding that against him," Alice declared. "He'll call, Emmett, I'm sure. And how is your princess, anyway?"

Emmett grinned. "I drove Rosalie home about 3:30 this morning. She's coming over here later." Emmett grabbed a can of Red Bull from the refrigerator. "So Bells," he grinned "Have you recovered from Edward's kissing yet?"

"What?!" Bella shot Edward a panicked look. Oh, no! Had Emmett just seen them? Had Edward said something to him last night?

Edward met her stare and just raised his eyebrows innocently.

"Oh, Em! Why'd you have to mention that?" Alice hissed. "Bella's forgiven me for the stupid game, but I'm pretty sure Edward is still mad at me."

Emmett chuckled without remorse, clearly just messing with her. Bella turned her back on them and started running water in the sink to wash dishes. She had no intentions of giving him an answer.

"You still owe me, Alice." Edward told her with a grin. He didn't want Alice to think he was really mad at her.

"I know, I know." She sighed. "I owe you both, big! If Jasper and I end up getting married, I promise to name a child after each of you."

"I don't know, Alice," Emmett smirked. "The way you two were going at it last night, are you sure it's going to be marriage BEFORE a baby?"

"Emmett Cullen! What a thing to say!" Alice yelled and raised a fist to strike him.

Emmett just laughed and dodged out of her way as she chased him. He led her out of the kitchen taunting, "I'm just saying, since you've found a man without flaws he might make your perfect sperm donor!"

Alice continued to scream insults at her brother from the living room, but Bella stopped hearing them when she felt Edward come up behind her at the sink. Without a word he put his hands on her stomach and sucked her ear lobe into his mouth. Bella dropped the glass she had been washing, nearly shattering it in the sink. His hands moved steadily up her midriff until his fingers were grazing her breasts, feeling as her bare nipples hardened underneath her thin cami. Bella's head lolled back against Edward's shoulder and her eyes closed. She could feel his hot breath behind her ear and down her neck as he gently teased her breasts. Edward placed a quick kiss on her bare shoulder and moved away from her just as Emmett jogged back into the kitchen with an irritated Alice in his wake.

Bella thought her knees were going to give out and she gripped the counter for support. Damn him! How did he do that to her? Was this just a game he was playing? Not that she wanted him to stop but she couldn't just keep being putty in his hands… Although he did have amazing hands.

"I'm going to go take a shower, Al." Bella announced, drying her hand and tossing the towel in the sink. "I'll help you clean up later."

"OK, I'm going to stay down here and wait for Jasper to call, just in case he calls the house phone."

"Alice, you've got to get a hold of yourself." Bella laughed so Alice would know she wasn't criticizing. She was also trying to cover up the fact that her voice still shook from the affect of Edward's caress. "We don't want to spend our whole break waiting for the phone to ring."

"But I can't look too eager," Alice replied. "I know how to take control of this situation! I'll just make a few phone calls to Jessica and Angela, tell them to call Mike and Ben, maybe Eric and Tyler. Then I can call Jasper and tell him that several friends are coming over and he should join." Alice's face lit up at her plan.

Bella's face fell. That wasn't exactly what she wanted to do with her day.

"Didn't we just HAVE a party?" Emmett asked as he took another long drink of his Red Bull.

"You already said Rosalie was coming over." Alice pointed out. "We just want to hang out in the sun. What's wrong with that?"

"And if Jasper gets to see you in a two-piece. Nothing wrong with that either, I guess." Emmett teased.

Bella went upstairs rolling her eyes at Alice and her crazy schemes. At least Alice was occupied for the moment because Bella really needed a long shower to calm her body and collect her wits. What was going on with her and Edward, anyway? How long were they going to mess around like this before one of them said something? And what were they going to say to each other, anyway? They were still enemies, right? Weren't they?

By the time she turned off the hot water and stepped out of the shower, Bella was feeling calmer again. Maybe she was making too much out of this. Edward was still Edward, but he did make her feel things no one else ever had. Maybe that didn't have to be a bad thing. Especially when just thinking about him put a giant, goofy smile on her face. There was nothing wrong with enjoying the moment.

Bella started back towards Alice's room wrapped only in a towel, knowing that Alice would already have several bathing suits laid out on her bed for the two of them to choose from. A sweater to a bathing suit in under 24 hours; that was spring in Washington for you. Just as she was about to open Alice's door, Bella caught sight of Edward leaning against the wall watching her. He eyed her towel with a wicked grin, but she only gave him a warning look and shook her head at him before ducking through the door. Honestly, did he _want_ them to get caught?

Edward groaned when Bella shut Alice's door and walked back to his own room. She had to be doing it on purpose. Walking around in a towel like that? A guy could only take so much! He knew Bella wasn't a tease. Hell, he'd known her all his life and she didn't even really know how to flirt! But everything she did now felt purposely designed just to make him go mad. He thought he was getting to her pretty good in the kitchen earlier but, damn it all, she didn't even have to work at it. She just walked into the room and he was down for the count! He had hoped that Alice would sneak off somewhere with Jasper this afternoon, giving him a chance to be alone with Bella. Instead, she'd invited half the town over for all of them to entertain so she could parade in front of her knew boyfriend. He adored Alice, he always would, but she was trying his patience a bit these days.

It was less than an hour later when Edward met Alice in the kitchen as she was her way to the deck out back. She had a beach towel in one arm and a tiny robe tied over her suit.

"Edward, can you do me a favor?" she paused to ask. "Can you meet Jasper at the door when he gets here and tell him I'm out back? I want him to walk out and see me lying in the sun."

Edward shook his head at his sister's planning. "Fine," he grumbled.

"Oh, and Mike and Tyler are coming over later. Angela and Ben have plans, but Jess might show up too."

"Where's Bella?" he asked, then cringed at his slip. He should have said 'Where's the shew?' or something snide like that. But, Alice didn't seem to notice the change.

"She'll be down in a minute. She was looking for something to wear over her bikini."

Alice's words made Edward stop. Bikini? Bella was wearing a bikini? Perhaps the afternoon wasn't going to be a complete waste after all.

The door bell rang and Alice dashed outside to get into position. It was only Mike and Tyler, but Jasper arrived a few moments later. Edward sent them all out back where Emmett and Rosalie had also gone to sit in the sun.

Bella finally came downstairs to find Edward was waiting in the kitchen for her to make an appearance. He thought it had definitely been worth the wait when she stepped through the door wearing only a tiny red two-piece that showed off her flat stomach and perfect cleavage. She paused when she saw him, watching as he blatantly took in her attire and grin appreciatively.

Standing with her hands on her hips and sighed at him. "All right. Get it out of your system. I couldn't even find a descent T-shirt to put over this and all of Alice's one-pieces were too small."

"Good!" Edward told her in mock horror. "Why the hell would you want to cover that up?"

"Shut up," she grinned, blushing slightly. "Some of us actually do have some modesty."

He raised an eyebrow at her in question.

"I do!" she protested, but then looked at him knowingly and added, "Usually."

Edward laughed but his amusement was short lived when Mike came through the back door and into the kitchen. When Mike got a look at Bella his eyes went wide and Edward was pretty sure he saw drool in the corners of his mouth. Mike didn't even say anything. He just stood there, ogling Bella.

"What the hell do you want, Newton?" Edward snapped at him.

"Huh?" Mike looked at Edward, realizing he was there for the first time. "What?"

Edward pushed away from the counter and tried to block Mike's view of Bella. "What do you want?" he asked again.

Mike finally caught on to Edward's tone and gave him a strange look. "I was just coming in for a soda but, whatever. Forget it, man." He peeked around Edward as he turned to leave again, "Hey, Bella. You look great! Are you coming out to join us soon?"

Bella was trying so hard not to laugh that she could only nod at Mike. As soon as he was gone Edward looked at her again.

"I think you should borrow one of my shirts to cover up with," he told her.

"What?" she asked amused. "Didn't you just tell me it was a BAD idea to cover up?"

"That was different."

"Really?" she teased him. "So, you only want me to cover up if other guys are going to see me? Do I have that right?"

Edward glared at her.

"That's a strange condition to make, don't you think, Edward?" she asked sweetly. "Why do you suppose you don't want the other guys to see me in this little bikini?"

"Shut up, Bella, and go put something else on."

"Tell me why, first."

"Why what?!" Edward snapped.

"Tell me why you want me to cover up in front of Mike and the other guys?"

Edward pictured Mike, Tyler, Ben, even Emmett all watching Bella's gorgeous body lying out in the sun. It literally made him see red and his jaw locked. In all his life he'd never felt such intense jealously and… what was that? Possessiveness?

He felt possessive? Of Bella!? Fuck that!

"Who said it bothers me?" he shrugged, trying to appear casual.

Bella wasn't fooled. "So, it wouldn't bother you if I go and join Mike out there like this?" she asked.

Edward just glared at her, "Why would it?"

"Good, then it won't bother you if I ask him to share his lounge chair, since there aren't enough to go around. There is almost enough room for two if we squeeze together."

Edward knew she was bluffing and he was tired of being baited. "Ask him to join you in the wood shed, for all I care!" he told her. "Have a nice little party for two, if that's what you want."

Bella's back went ridged and her eyes narrowed angrily. "Fine!" she snapped. "Since you don't care what I do, maybe I will!" She shoved passed him towards the back door.

Edward caught her by the elbow and stopped her. "Wait," he told her gently. Damn it! He knew she wouldn't really go anywhere with Newton, but he could NOT stand the idea of her going out there to be undressed by all their eyes. Especially when she didn't have much on to begin with. He knew he shouldn't fucking care, but he did. "Fine," he sighed. "I admit it. I don't like the other guys looking at you in that. It bothers me."

Bella stood in front of him and smiled, "Now, was that really so hard?"

"Well," Edward grinned, "Tell me something. Are you glad that it bothers me?"

Bella hesitated and bit her lip.

"Ha! Not quite so easy to admit, is it?" Edward declared, chuckling.

"Fine! You've made your point." she told him reluctantly. "And, yes, I'm glad that it bothers you. Now, shut up!"

Edward laughed again and began to pull her towards him.

"Everyone's right outside," Bella protested, her hands on his chest.

"So, we could go upstairs to my room." Edward suggested softly, tracing one finger down the side of her neck. "You know, just to look for something to cover you with. Perhaps a long rain coat would do?"

He lowered his hand so the back of his fingers grazed down her bare stomach. Bella bit her lip and moaned softly as his hand started to approach her bikini line. But, before she could reply to his suggestion the house phone rang nosily, breaking the mood.

"Damn it," Edward muttered as he walked over to answer the phone on the wall. "Yeah?" he barked in annoyance, but then flinched. "Oh, hey, Charlie? How's Vancouver? You and Rene having a good trip?"

Bella covered her mouth to keep from giggling. Even though he was only on the phone line, Edward looked ridiculously guilty talking to Charlie mere seconds after trying to entice his daughter into his room. The situation was just too funny. Edward put his figure to his lips telling Bella to be quiet, but she couldn't resist messing with him some more. She came up beside him and rested her hands on his shoulder so she could blow warm air into his ear… the ear that wasn't currently listening to her father's voice. Edward was not as amused by the stunt as Bella was.

"Yeah, Charlie. Bella's around somewhere," Edward spoke into the phone while trying to disentangle himself from Bella. "Hold on, let me see if I can find her." Edward hit the mute button to block out Bella's giggling. "I'm going to find you a shirt to put on," he told her as he handed her the receiver and headed for the stairs.

Bella patted his ass playfully as he walked out. Then she waited a few more seconds before pressing the mute button again. "Hi, Dad! How's your vacation going?" she asked cheerfully. For several minutes she listened to her father describe the sites they'd seen, although Charlie seemed to pay the most attention to the food they had been eating. Bella decided she was going to have to put her dad on a low-fat diet when he got back.

"So, Bells, you know the barbeque at the Black's is tonight?" Charlie brought up suddenly.

"Yeah? I mean, actually, no, I didn't remember that." Bella told him. "You already told Billy we wouldn't be coming this time, though, right?"

"Well, yes, I told him weeks ago, but…" her father hesitated. "But, the truth is only your mother and I can't be there. No reason you couldn't go."

"Dad," Bella protested. "I don't want to go by myself."

"Oh, don't worry about that! Jacob will be there."

Bella was grateful her father couldn't actually hear her eyes rolling. Billy Black was Charlie's best friend and they were always invited to their family parties. Tonight the Blacks were having a big barbeque for Billy's son, Jacob's, birthday party, which was the real reason Charlie wanted Bella to attend. Jacob had developed a huge crush on Bella and Charlie didn't understand why she didn't return his attention. At first it was just an annoying case of puppy-love, but as he had gotten older he had grown more forward to the point it actually made Bella uncomfortable.

"Listen, dad, I'm staying at the Cullen's and it's just not a good time. Besides, I don't even have a ride out there."

"Jacob will pick you up and take you back to the Cullen's after the party. Bella, it's his birthday. Can't you be a little self-sacrificing?" her father chastised.

Just then Alice came into the kitchen, so excited about something that she was literally bouncing. Bella saw her and motioned her over quickly. She mouthed the word "HELP" to Alice just before speaking to her dad again. "Actually, dad, I would, but I can't just bail on Alice. We are supposed to be spending Spring Break together. It would be rude."

"That's OK," Charlie announced. "Alice can go with you, if you'd like. Just be sure to call Jacob right away so he knows to pick you up. The party starts in a few hours."

Bella knew she wasn't getting out of this, but maybe with Alice along it wouldn't be so bad. "Fine," she told him. "I guess, tell mom hi for me."

"What was that all about?" Alice asked after Bella had hung up the phone.

Bella groaned, "Remember that huge favor you owe me? Can I trade in being the name sake of your first born for you coming with me to the Black's barbeque tonight? Its Jacob's birthday and I really can't face him alone."

"Oh… Bella… um" Alice looked down. "I was just about to tell you that Jasper asked me out to dinner tonight. He wants to take me some place really fancy, just the two of us."

"Well, can you guys do it tomorrow night?" Bella asked, "Please, Alice, I really don't want to go to this party by myself and my dad won't let me get out of it. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

"But, Bella, it's the first time he's asked me out. I can't be difficult."

"Alice, Jasper is crazy about you. He'll understand. Please!" Bella pleaded desperately.

"Oh, you go to the Blacks all the time, Bella. You can handle Jacob for one night." Alice squeezed her hand confidently. "Cheer up! It might be fun. Some of his sister's friends are cute, if I remember."

"Fine," Bella said, dropping Alice's hand. "I guess I need to call Jacob and tell him to pick me up in a few hours."

"You're the best, Bella!" Alice hugged her around the middle and ran upstairs to look for her iPod. She practically collided with Edward on the landing, holding a long T-shirt he'd found for Bella.

"Hey, where's the fire?" he teased.

"Sorry," Alice smiled.

"You in an awfully good mood," he pointed out.

"Yeah, I am! Jasper is taking me to that little French restaurant in Port Angeles tonight. Just the two of us."

Edward's face lit up. Bella would be free for the evening, no Alice to avoid. He tried to cover up his sudden excitement by muttering. "So, you are leaving the shrew here for the rest of us to deal with? Thanks a lot, Alice."

"Oh, calm down, Edward. Bella's going out tonight too, so no one has to put up with anyone."  
"Going out with who?" Edward blurted out without thinking.

"Huh?" Alice gave him a curious look. "Just a guy you don't know. What difference does it make to you? Geez, you are so mean to her!" She walked off shaking her head.

What was Alice saying? Bella was going out with another guy? No, she couldn't have gotten that right. This must be part of some impromptu plan Bella had come up with to get them alone tonight. Smiling, Edward went back downstairs towards the kitchen. His smile faded, however, when he heard Bella on the phone.

"Sure, Jake, 5:00 is fine. I'll be ready for you." Her voice sounded cheerful as she spoke to someone on the other line. "Are you sure you got the directions to the Cullen's house written down right? It can be kind of tricky to find the first time."

What the fuck?! Edward nearly shredded the T-shirt in his hands.

"OK, Jake. I'll see you in a couple of hours." Bella said and hung up the phone. A moment later she emerged from the kitchen and nearly collided with Edward. He pushed passed her roughly without a word and started towards the garage door.

"Where are you going?" Bella asked, staring after him in confusion.

"Out!" Edward snapped. Then, having a second thought, her turned to her and added. "I got a text message from someone wanting to meet up."

"You're leaving _now_ to meet someone?" Bella had hoped to spend a little time with Edward before she had to go to the barbeque. "Who are you meeting?"

"What is that? Like I have to clear things with you all of a sudden?"

"What?" she glared at him. "Oh, that's nice, Edward. Glad to see you are back to your old self."

"Just tell Alice and Emmett I probably won't be back until late tonight?" he said as quickly left before she could reply.

Because Edward really didn't have anyone to meet up with, he spent the next two hours driving aimlessly through the back roads of the Olympic Peninsula. When his initial rage had passed he grudgingly began to wonder if he'd over reacted. It wasn't like he had any claim on Bella. It hadn't even been 24 hours since they'd first kissed, and it's not like they ever actually discussed what was happening between them. Hell, he didn't even know what the fuck _was _happening between them except for the fact that, apparently, they could no longer keep their hands off each other. But, damn it, after teasing him for his reaction to Mike drooling all over her, how could she just make a date with another guy? And why the hell did the thought of her out with anyone else make him so sick?

Edward planned his return to the house for 5:30 so he could be certain Bella was long gone. Alice and Emmett looked up at him in surprise when he walked into the living room. They both were obviously dressed to go out.

"I thought Bella said you were out for the night." Emmett told him. "Didn't you meet up with someone?"

Edward shook his head, "Decided to come home early."

"At least Bella won't be coming home alone to an empty house," Alice said mostly to herself. To Emmett she added, "I still feel guilty, though."

"Why do you feel guilty?" Edward asked, annoyed. "You have a date. She has a date. What's the big deal?"

Alice pretended to gag. "Hardly a date! Poor Bella. I should have gone with her like she asked, but I just couldn't say no to Jasper."

"Gone with her on her date?"

"It wasn't a date," Emmett clarified. "She had to go to a barbeque at her dad's friend's place. Charlie called her today to make her go and she really didn't want to."

"It's worse than that," Alice admitted guiltily. "She had to get a ride from his son, Jacob, and the guy really bugs her. He's been fawning all over her for years and it she hates it."

Edward felt like a complete ass. Well, he'd certainly managed to fuck THAT up quite nicely! Why couldn't he have just _asked_ her who Jake was, rather than flying into a jealous fit like a… like a jealous boyfriend? Boyfriend? Oh, shit, he was really in trouble now.

"What's the matter with you?" Emmett asked, and Edward realized he'd been standing with his eyes squeezed shut pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Nothing," he answered, trying to act normal. He looked at Alice and smiled. "You look nice."

"What about me? Don't I look nice?"

Edwards made a sound he hoped passed for laughing. "Yeah, Emmett. You look very nice too. Are you taking Rosalie out?"

"She's cooking for me at her place. Her parents are out for the night." Emmett grinned, "She's actually making me food. Seriously, is this girl perfect or what?"

Edward started for the stairs after telling them both to have fun. Alice called after him that Bella had a key to let herself in since she wasn't expecting anyone to be home when she got back. Flopping down on his bed, he threw his arm over his face and wondered how he was going to fix this. The part of his mind that was relieved to know Bella wasn't truly out with another guy was battling with the part that wanted to save his dignity after jumping to the wrong conclusions. In the end, dignity lost. There was still a chance that he and Bella could be alone in the house together for several hours that night and he didn't really want to spend it arguing. If he just came clean and begged forgiveness, they would probably start making out sooner. There was a time when he would have called a guy like that "whipped" but he really didn't care when he was remembering what it was like to run his palms over her smooth skin. He groaned, glancing at the clock and wondering how long until she was back.

It was just passed 8:30 when Edward heard the front door open downstairs. He had never bothered to turn on the light in his room and it had grown dark outside. There were two distinct footsteps he could hear coming into the foyer, one much heavier than the other. The front door was closed and he could just make out the sound of muffled voices. He knew one was Bella's but he couldn't distinguish any words until her voice suddenly rose loudly.

"No, Jake!" she exclaimed forcefully.

Edward sat up and threw his legs over the bed. There were a few more muffled words, and then Bella's voice rose to a scream.

"Stop it!" she cried. "Stop it! No! Jake, no! You're hurting me!"

Edward nearly ripped the door off the wall and flew down the stairs…

**Please tell me if you are still enjoying this story and I will update again soon!**


	3. Confession Has Its Rewards

**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

_**I keep thinking I'll take a break from writing this, but when I read your reviews I can't stand to make you wait for updates. Thanks for being so encouraging!**_

* * *

Enemy Mine

Chapter Three: "Confession Has Its Rewards"

Bella couldn't believe what was happening.

All night she had tried to avoid Jacob. After arriving at the barbeque with her, he started acting like she was his date. At first she tried to be nice. It was his birthday, after all, and it would have been mean to admit she was only there because her father made her go. She tried to talk to other people, to distance herself, but Jacob was always there… hovering. Then, as they were sitting around the bond fire, Jacob had scooted over close and put his arm around her shoulders. That had been it for "nice" Bella. She shoved him away, hard, and stormed off leaving him with a withering glare. Claiming a head ache, she had tried to get one of his friends to drive her back to the Cullen's. Just as she was about to get into Embry's car, though, Jacob suddenly pulled her arm and said he'd take her. He seemed sorry, even embarrassed, so she let him. She even let him walk her into the house, since it was dark and empty, so he could tell his father that he made sure she was safe before he left.

That had been a mistake.

"No, Jake!" Bella said loudly as he suddenly snaked his arm around her hips and asked for a birthday kiss.

"Don't worry, you'll like it. I'll make sure you do." Jacob cooed softly as he grabbed her neck with his other hand and pulled her face towards his.

Bella tried to shove him away and turned her face so his mouth landed on her cheek. "Stop it!" she cried.

Jacob just chuckled and pushed her up against the wall, kissing her jaw. "Come on, Bella, why do you have to be so stubborn?" He grabbed her arms that were pushing against him, and secured them behind her back. "Just relax and you'll start enjoying it."

"Stop it!" she screamed again. Jacob held both of her wrists in one hand and tried to slide his other hand inside her jeans. "No, Jake! No!" He pushed his knee deep into her thigh to hold her still. "You're hurting me!"

"And you _like_ it," he hissed in her ear. "You know you do."

She tried to kick him with her other leg as she wrestled to get free, but that only made Jacob more aggressive as he rubbed against her. Bella started to cry. Jacob was so strong and he wouldn't stop. She couldn't believe this was happening.

She was crying so loudly that neither of them heard the footsteps that pounded down the stairs and across the living room to where Jacob had Bella pinned in the foyer. All they heard was the enraged roar that clawed its way out of Edward's throat when he saw them.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER!" The words weren't even out of his mouth before Edward had an arm across Jacob's throat while his hand yanked his head back by his hair.

Jacob gasped in shock as he fell away from Bella. He landed on his backside, but Edward didn't let go of him yet. He pulled his face up by his hair and slammed his fist into Jacob's nose, hearing a crunch as blood spewed out. Jacob yelped and Edward threw him to the ground so his head hit the wood floor hard.

"You son-of-a-bitch! Don't you ever fucking touch her again!"

Jacob cried out as his figures came away from his face covered in blood. "You broke my nose, you psycho bastard!"

Edward turned away from him to look at Bella. She was still standing against the wall, shaking and choking out little sobs. He took a step towards her and she fell against him, burying her face in his chest. Edward wrapped his arms around her and held her protectively. He looked down at Jacob still lying on the floor.

"If you ever come near Bella again, I will kill you." He said fiercely. "I'm not fucking kidding. I will kill you!"

Jacob just glared at him and struggled to get up off the floor. "You're both fucked up in the head," he told them. "I didn't do anything but try to give her a kiss and you both go bat shit crazy!"

Bella turned to look at Jacob, her fingers still clinging to Edward's shirt, and cried, "I told you to stop! I said you were hurting me!"

"Bella…" Jacob started, making his voice soothing.

"Don't you say her name!" Edward yelled. "You don't ever speak to her again! You don't ever look at her again!" He used his hand to shield Bella's face against his chest so Jacob couldn't see her. "You leave Bella the hell alone or I won't stop with a broken nose," he warned him dangerously. "And if you don't get out of my house this second I will fucking end you right here!"

Jacob's eyes narrowed. He was now on his feet, his hands in fists at his sides, but he didn't say another word as he turned and walked out the front door.

Once Jacob was gone, Bella turned her face back into Edward's chest and whimpered softly into his shirt. Edward held her tightly and rubbed her back. "Shh… Baby, don't cry," he told her softly. "It's all right. It's over. He's gone." He didn't say anything more for several minutes. He just enveloped her in his warmth as she shivered in his arms.

Bella finally took a shuttering breath and looked up at him. Their faces were nearly touching and he could see the tears still glistening in her eyes. Edward reached one hand up to wipe the moisture from her cheek with his thumb as he continued to hold her close.

"I don't understand," Bella confessed with a shaky voice. "Why would Jake do that? Why would he act that way? I don't even know what happened."

Edward kept his arms around Bella as he led her into the living room and sat them both down on the couch. Bella sat stiffly, her arms clutched around her middle. Edward covered her arms with one of his and draped the other around her shoulders where he toyed nervously with her hair.

"I'm not usually stupid, but I just never thought Jake would try something like that. He only said he wanted to make sure I got inside safely. Oh, what a joke!" Bella continued to talk, as much to herself as to Edward. "But this is _Jake_! Jake is just a kid… He's just a goofy kid. I mean, he's not a… he wouldn't have actually…" Bella was starting to cry again.

"Shh… Bella," Edward rested his cheek on the top of her head and smoothed her hair back from her face. "This wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Edward, you don't think... that if you hadn't been here…. "Bella's voice grew even smaller. "Do you think he was really going to…. really going to…. Do you think he would have stopped?"

Edward leaned back into the couch and pulled Bella onto his chest. She seemed to welcome his embrace and tucked her face into this neck. He wanted to calm her, but he knew she wanted the truth. The site of Jacob's hand fumbling at the top of Bella's jeans flashed into his mind, making him wish he had killed the bastard when he had the chance. "I don't know, Baby. I think he might have tried," he told her. "But, the one thing I know for sure is that he is never, ever going to touch you again."

Bella finally relaxed her arms and wound them around Edward's waist, giving him a squeeze. "Than you," she said.

"For what?"

"For what? How can you ask 'for what'?" Bella said in astonishment. She lifted her head and looked at his face. "For saving me. For protecting me. For hurting Jacob because he hurt me."

"Tell me where the punk lives and I'll give you more to thank me for," Edward told her, suddenly regretting that he left this Jacob conscious. If he hadn't been so worried about Bella at the time he would have done a more thorough job of breaking things. He wanted the chance to do it right.

Bella saw his intent and shook her head. "No. Just leave it for now. I don't want you fighting if you don't have to." She lowered her head to his chest again. "Besides, I want you here with me right now."

Edward kissed the top of her head and continued to hold her. He could always put Jacob in the hospital on another day.

"Wait. Why _are_ you here?" Bella suddenly asked without looking up.

"What do you mean?"

"I thought the house was going to be empty. Weren't you meeting someone for the night?"

Oh, damn. He forgot he still had that to clear up. Well, that is what you get for being a jealous idiot. Remembering his earlier plan, he decided he should just come out and say it.

"I lied."

"You lied?" Bella looked at him this time.

Edward let out a long breath. "Yes, I lied. I never got a text. I was never meeting anyone." When Bella just looked at him in confusion he rushed on. "I heard you on the phone and I thought you were going out with some other guy. " Bella still just looked at him, but he thought he saw the start of a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. Grasping at anything that might make her smile right now he blurted out. "It made me so crazy jealous that I told you a ridiculous story about meeting up with someone myself just to get back at you and then I ran out an entire tank of gas driving around until you were out of the house so I could come back and sulk. So, that is why I am here."

The smile was definitely in place on Bella's face now. Then she laughed and Edward thought he'd make an ass out of himself all over again just to hear that sound.

"Oh, Edward!" she giggled as she put her arms around his neck to hug him. He hugged her back. "How could you think I would want to go out with someone else instead of staying here with you?"

Everything inside of him went warm with those words. What the hell kind of reaction was that? He had never had anything make him feel… was he feeling gooey inside? This shit was weird. But he kind of liked it.

"My dad made me go to that stupid party. He made me call Jacob."

"I know, Bella, I know," he said wearily. "Alice and Emmett explained it all after I got back from my temper tantrum." Bella giggled again and kissed his neck. Apparently confession did have some merit. He'd have to remember that in the future. Right now he was just thrilled he could say anything to make her feel better.

After another moment Bella pulled back again, suddenly feeling very tired. "I think I'll go upstairs and wash my face," she said. "Maybe take a shower."

"OK," Edward eased her off of him and helped her stand up. "Do you want me to make you something to eat?"

Bella hid her smile. The way he was trying to take care of her was cute.

"No," she told him, shaking her head. "I'm not hungry. But thanks."

They were standing in front of each other now and Edward still had his hand on her arm. Neither one made a move to step away.

"Um, you're not going to go anywhere, though. Right?" Bella asked shyly. "I mean, you'll still be here?"

"Of course I'll be here, Bella," he told her, leaning in closer to reassure her. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Bella rose up on her tip-toes and kissed him. It was soft kiss, their lips lingering together comfortably for several seconds before gently pulling apart. It was the sweetest kiss Edward had ever received and it left him without words.

Smiling at him again, Bella made her way upstairs. She went into Alice's room and noticed the mess her best friend had made. Alice must have tried on 20 different outfits trying to decide what to wear tonight and each one of them was now strewn across the floor and over both beds. Bella searched for her shower stuff and something to change into before she left the messy room.

Taking longer in the shower than she had intended, she washed her hair twice and left the conditioner in to set, shaved her legs, scrubbed her feet with a loufa, and anything else she could think to do to prolong her time before she had to get out. Finally, she rinsed her very well conditioned hair, letting the warm water wash over her. She wished it would wash away the prickly feeling on her skin. It wasn't really her skin that felt wrong, but more like she felt uncomfortable in her skin.

Bella stepped out of the shower into a steam filled room. She rubbed her hair with the towel until it was only damp and pulled a cropped T-shirt on over her head. As she was slipping into a lose pair of yoga pants she noticed the skin on her thigh was red where Jacob's knee had pressed into her. She touched it gingerly and winced. It would be a deep bruise by morning. She swallowed hard, a feeling of nausea rising up in her throat. She wondered where Edward was. She wanted to see him.

The air felt cold as she left the heated bathroom. She noticed that Edward's door was opened part way down the hall and her bare feet padded towards it quietly. Stopping just outside the room she saw Edward sitting at his desk comfortably tapping away on his laptop. Bella immediately felt herself relax and she smiled. He had his glasses on again. Damn, she loved him in those things! He was focusing on the website in front of him and unconsciously clicking his tongue at whatever he read. Bella sighed and leaned against the door frame. He was adorable!

Edward heard her sigh and looked up. "Hey," he smiled, taking his glasses off and setting them on the desk. "So you didn't drown in there."

"Guess I used up all the hot water. Sorry."

Bella didn't move from where she stood. The long shower had left her sleepy but she didn't want to leave him and go back to Alice's messy room. "Do you think I could lie down in here for awhile?" she asked self-consciously. "You don't have to stop what you're doing and I promise not to get all weepy on you again." Smiling, she waved her hands in front of herself like she could brush away the bad memories. "It's just too quiet in the house. I don't want to be alone."

"Yeah, sure." Edward told her, standing up to straighten the messy covers on his bed.

"Don't," Bella told him, walking into the room and standing on the other side of the bed. "I don't mind." She actually liked the idea of lying down on sheets that still held his scent. Wow, she was really becoming pathetic! "I mean, I don't mind if you don't."

Edward thought of Bella lying in his bed and swallowed. "I don't mind."

Bella crawled up on the bed and sank her head into the pillow. It felt nice. She turned her head slightly and breathed in. In smelled nice too. Edward sat at her feet and watched her get comfortable. How could someone look so cute and so sexy at the same time?

"Your feet are cold," he told her as he covered them with his hands and rubbed them lightly. They were smooth and soft, with pink polish on the toes. Damn! She even had pretty feet!

Bella turned over and grinned at him, "When did you learn to be so sweet. And where was I?" she asked him playfully.

"Hey, I've always been sweet."

"Not to me."

"That's because you were a shrew," Edward winked at her.

"Yes," Bella agreed, "But only because you were mean to me first."

"First?"

"Well, you were the one who poured Root Beer in _my _hair. Not the other way around."

Edward laughed. "The dreaded Root Beer incident," he said in awe. "You actually brought it up."

Bella kicked him lightly and he grabbed her foot. Rather than releasing it he held it in his lap and began to massage the arch. It felt so good she had to stifle a moan.

"So you were a shrew to me all these years because I poured Root Beer in your hair at a 4th of July picnic when we were six-years-old. Do I have that right?"

Bella scrunched up her face. "That's just where it started," she corrected him. "You know that."

"You got me back pretty good, as I remember." Edward looked at her disapprovingly. "Pouring water in my sleeping bag every morning of the camping trip that year... I'm convinced my mother still believes I was a bed-wetter."

Bella clutched her stomach as she giggled, "That _was_ one of my more brilliant moments, wasn't it!" she declared without remorse.

Edward shook his head at her, but couldn't help but smile listening to her laugh. "After that, it was all out war."

"Yes," Bella stopped laughing, "And you never could stand to let me win."

"That's because I'd already lost," Edward murmured, not meeting her eyes.

"What does that mean?"

"Bella, why do you think I poured Root Beer in your hair in the first place?" Edward asked her gently.

Bella frowned, "Because you didn't like me."

"Wrong." He looked up at her and stopped rubbing as he spoke. "I did it because you asked someone else to share your box of Sparklers."

"What are you talking about?" Bella stared at him blankly.

"You don't you remember?" Edward shook his head. "When they were dividing up the fireworks at the picnic? Every kid had to split a box of Sparklers because there wasn't enough to go around. I thought you'd share your box with me," he shrugged sadly. "But you asked someone else like I wasn't even there."

Bella just looked at him, completely still.

Edward smiled and moved to rubbing her other foot. "You knew I was there after I poured the Root Beer in your hair."

Bella sat up on her elbows and gaped at him. "Are you saying we hated each other for over ten years because I didn't realize you liked me?"

"Well, like you said, that's just how it started." Edward smirked at her. "I was genuinely pissed about that bet-wetting trick. That, on top of ignoring me at the picnic, pretty much convinced me we were enemies."

Bella was stunned. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"First, let me remind you, I was six. And, at least by torturing you I was getting your attention." He slowly slid his hands under the hem of her pants and began to message her calf. "Besides, getting you all riled up was much more fun. Although, you weren't supposed to get that good at retaliation. That really irritated me." His hands moved higher, bending her leg so he could caress her knee. "And, of course, there was always that underlying problem that never went away…"

"What problem?" Bella's voice was a whisper. She felt her heart rate pick up, both from huskiness of his tone and the movements of his hands.

"The problem of hating someone you want…." Edward leaned over and kissed her knee. "And wanting someone who hates you."

Bella's eyes met his. She sat up slowly and leaned over the knee he was stroking. "I never hated you," she told him, touching his cheek.

"I'm sorry I poured Root Beer in your hair," he whispered back, moving his face closer.

Bella brushed her lips across his. "I forgive you," she breathed against them.

Edward moved his hands into her damp hair and opened his mouth under hers. They kissed each other slowly, moving deliberately and feeling every sensation from every angle. They pulled on each other's lips with long strokes and took turns teasing with their tongues. They didn't rush this time, giving and receiving without reservation.

Bella lowered her knee and drew Edward down to her on the mattress. Their lips continued to caress each other's as their hands stroked each other's arms. Edward's mouth moved to her jaw and he kissed underneath her chin. Moving lower his lips brushed her throat and Bella's hands smoothed down his back. She loved the way his shoulders blades tightened under her fingers and she arched her back as he kissed her chest.

Edward's hand inch underneath her short shirt and moved in broads circles over her flat stomach. Feeling the top of her low-riding pants he suddenly remembered Jacob fumbling at her jeans earlier that night and he froze. He didn't want to remind Bella of that, to make her feel that way again. He started to pull his hand back but Bella sensed the reason behind his hesitation and drew his hand back down.

"It's all right," she whispered, drawing his face up to hers. "It's not the same." They kissed each other again as Bella's hand guided his back under her shirt and moved it upwards. She sighed against his mouth, "I want your touch."

Edward groaned. "Bella," he choked out as he kissed her harder. His hand crept up her side, feeling the smooth skin over her ribs cage. He broke their kiss gentry and rested his forehead against hers as his hand finally moved over her bare breast. They were both breathing heavily as Edward's fingers explored her delicately. His thumb brushed over her nipple that was already a tight bud and Bella bit her lips as a little cry slipped out of her. Edward cupped her mound fully and gently massaged it.

"Edward… Edward…" Bella was nearly panting. How could he make her feel these things so effortlessly?

Edward's hand moved back down to her stomach again. He loved that he was doing this to her. He wanted to make Bella forget every horrible thing that had ever happened to her. He wanted to make her feel as precious as she was. He reached the top of her pants again and felt the lose bow that tied at the waist. Still resting his forehead on hers he slowly reached for the tie and began to pull. He paused to give her a chance to stop him but she only held still, waiting. The bow came undone and the waist band immediately loosened and gapped.

Edward left his hands still on her stomach for a moment and moved his mouth to her neck. His nose brushed the skin behind her ear. She smelled sweet, like strawberries, and he lightly touched her neck with his tongue. Bella's head sank into the pillow and she sighed his name again. Damn, did she have any idea what that sound did to him? His hand moved lower on her stomach and the lose material slipped down to expose the side of her hip. Edward literally bit the inside of his cheek to keep from groaning. She wasn't wearing panties. Holy shit, this girl was going to kill him.

Edward tried to breath. He hadn't really considered how far things were going to go between them here. His feelings for Bella were growing out of control. He had never wanted anything the way her wanted her…. But not tonight. Not after what she'd been through. And, in spite of knowing each other all of their lives, not this fast. He realized Bella had probably reasoned all this too, but she trusted him. Strange, but she trusted _him_ not to carry it too far. That itself was incredible. However, it didn't stop him from smoothing his hand over the side of her hip and rubbing just where the bone poked out. Bella instinctively arched her pelvis, her hands falling to grip the sheets. Edward smiled against her neck as he continued his torment. He gently bit down and Bella moaned.

"The sounds you make drive me crazy!" he confessed to her.

"You…" Bella voice quivered. "You drive me crazy."

Edward planted several, quick kisses on her lips. She kissed him back, moving her hands to his hair again. Edward moved his hands back to her face and eased his body to the side. Their kisses finally slowed and Bella turned on her side to face him. Edward's hand rested lightly on her shoulder and her fingers stoked his jaw.

They looked at each other lazily for several moments before either of them spoke.

"You know, I think I might like drinking Root Bear again." She smiled widely.

"I'll get you some tomorrow," he told her, amused.

"Good! I barely remember what it tastes like. I always told myself I didn't like it, but the truth is I just didn't like to be reminded of that day."

Edward chuckled.

"Don't laugh!" Bella tapped his check. "It was a very traumatizing experience for me. I was humiliated, especially because it was you."

"Me?"

"Well, duh, Edward. I mean, you were always the cutest boy I knew. I was too shy to even talk to you and then you did something so mean to me for no reason..." Bella shrugged. "I kept trying to figure out why you could hate me so much."

"Oh, Baby…" Edward pulled her against his chest. "I'm so sorry."

Bella rubbed her face against her shirt and closed her eyes. "Hmmm…" she signed. "It's OK. You can make it up to me."

"Mmmm…" Edward hummed against her hair and rubbed her back, "How can I do that?"

"You can let _me_ pour Root Beer on _your_ head."

Bella felt the vibrations of Edward's laugh.

"Right," he said, "That is exactly what I was thinking too."

"Sure it was," she teased, running her foot along his leg. She felt more relaxed now than she would have thought possible. She lay still, cradled against Edward's body, and felt him pull the covers around her. "What if we fall asleep?" she asked half-way there already.

"I'll hear when Alice comes home," Edward assured her. "You'll have time to move to her room. But it is still early, Bella, so just rest." He kissed her forehead several times before placing his cheek on her head. Bella was already asleep.

They stayed like that for a long time. Edward eventually pulled the covers over himself too and rolled to his back. He smiled when Bella followed in her sleep, her arms going around him. He stopped smiling when she threw her leg over his, but he didn't move it. There was such a thing as a good kind of torture.

Much later it was the movement of that leg that woke Edward up. He quickly looked at the clock. 2:30? Shit! He must have fallen asleep. Listening closely he couldn't hear any sounds in the house other than Bella's quiet breathing. Carefully, but very quickly, Edward eased himself out from underneath her sleeping form. He quietly left the room and went down the hall to Alice's. It was a mess, but at least it was empty. Alice wasn't home yet.

Edward's brow creased slightly at the thought of Jasper having Alice out so late, but what was he going to do about it? Jasper was a good guy. He'd take care of his sister.

Going over to the second bed, the one he knew Bella used when she stayed over, he tossed the close on the floor. He wondered if that was what Bella would have done, and decided it wasn't. Bella was much too considerate of her friend's feelings. So, he bent down to retrieve the items and set them on the other bed instead. He realized that Bella would probably have cleaned up the whole room for Alice under most circumstances, but he sure as hell wasn't going to do that. After pulling back the covers of the now cleared off bed, Edward went back to his room to get Bella. He heard her call his name the moment before he opened the door.

"Edward?" Bella was sitting up in his bed looking confused… and frightened.

"Baby, what is it?" He was instantly sitting beside her, touching her face in concern.

Bella's head fell forward on his chest. "I think I had a dream," she said, still half asleep.

Edward didn't want to ask her what the dream was about. He thought he probably knew.

"Where were you?" Bella mumbled, her arms going around his waist.

Edward stroked her long hair. "I went to check Alice's room. She'd not home yet, but you should probably go back to sleep in there."

Bella shook her head against his shirt. "I want to stay in here with you."

"I'll stay with you in Alice's room. Just until she gets back."

Bella was still murmuring her protests when he pulled the covers back and put his arm underneath her knees. She moved her hold to his neck and he picked her up easily. He carried her down the hall and laid her on the spare bed, pulling the covers over her as she wiggled to get comfortable. She was so damn cute when she did that!

Her eyes were already closed when she reached for his hand. "You lie down with me," she told him.

"I'm afraid I'll fall asleep again," he replied, soothing the back of her fingers with his thumb. He sat on the edge of the bed and put his hand on her knee. "But I'll sit here until Alice is home so you won't be alone."

Even in her sleepy state, Bella seemed to pout. "Too cold without you," she complained the moment before her breathing evened out again.

Still just as stubborn, Edward thought affectionately, realizing he wouldn't want her to be any different. He continued to look at her, watching how her chest rose with each breath and her nose occasionally twitched as she dreamed. He'd never just watched someone sleep before. He never imagined it could be so engaging. He was grateful for the bright moon light making it easier to see in the dark room. He could sit and watch her for hours.

It was just before 4:00 when he heard the front door open. Way to stay out _all_ night, Alice, he thought wryly. Bella was still sleeping deeply and he hated to leave her, but he knew he needed to dash back to his own room before Alice got up the stairs. He didn't even risk kissing her, not wanting to wake her up, as he rose from the bed and darted back down the hall. Just in case Alice decided to peek in his room on the way to the bathroom, Edward flopped face down on his bed and pretended to be asleep. His nose immediately took in Bella's strawberry scent on his sheets and he smiled like an idiot. He heard Alice humming happily as she moved passed his door but before she even returned to her room he was sound asleep.

The soft moonlight was replaced by the glare of the sun when Edward opened his eyes again. This was Forks, damn it! Where were the fucking clouds? He was still exhausted, but his curtains were wide open and there was no way he was going back to sleep with nature's brightest spot light trying to blind him. By the time he dragged himself up to close them, he was awake. The clock read only 7:30. Well, shit, it might as well be a school day if he is going to get up this early. Rubbing his hands over his tired face he decided to go downstairs and get something to drink.

He was surprised when he saw Emmitt in the kitchen already drinking his can of Red Bull. "What are you doing home already?" Edward asked, his voice still gravely, as he walked to the cabinet for a glass. "Rosalie doesn't make breakfast?"

"I didn't stay all night." Emmitt told him. "Her parents decided to come home early so I had to haul ass out of there."

Edward laughed at the thought of his big brothers trying to sneak out of the house. "You should have known better," Edward told him as he filled a glass with water. "Most parents aren't going to trust their daughters _that _much; especially daughters with new boyfriends."

"Yeah, I guess." Emmett took a long drink. "That reminds me," he said casually, turning the can around in his large hand like he was examining the label. "There was something I wanted to ask you."

"Ask me what?" Edward replied, taking a drink.

"Just out of _mild _curiosity, Bro… What the fuck was Bella doing in bed with you last night???...."

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**Do you still like where this story is going? Let me know if I should write more. Thanks!**

**~Alexanya**


	4. Pay Back's a Bitch

**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**

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_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

**I'm sorry it took me a few extra days to update, but this is my longest chapter yet so I hope that makes up for the wait.**

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Enemy Mine

Chapter Four: "Pay Back's a Bitch"

"Just out of _mild _curiosity, Bro… What the fuck was Bella doing in bed with you last night???...."

Edward choked. Coughing and sputtering he tried to clear out the water that had gone down his wind pipe when he'd heard his brother's question. He turned his back, bracing his arms on the counter and continued trying to clear his lungs.

Emmett went back to drinking his Red Bull, sitting calmly at the table as if nothing unexpected had occurred. "Take your time," he told him without concern.

Edward finally turned back around, still coughing, and glared at Emmett. "What are you talking about?" he asked lamely.

Emmett sighed, "Just tell me you didn't do anything I'm gonna have to kick your ass for."

"I didn't do _anything!_" Edward protested.

"Uh huh, right." Emmett eyed him suspiciously. "Because I never do anything when I have a hot girl in my bed either. What the fuck, Edward?!"

Damn it! Why couldn't Emmett have stayed out all night like he was supposed to?

"What?" Edward asked defensively, "Geez, Em. We just fell asleep."

Emmett laughed. "Right! That makes sense. Because you and Bella are so cozy with each other that you always curl up together on a cold night." Edward rolled his eyes, but Emmett kept going. "Shit, Bro, you were so wrapped around each other I could barely tell who was on top! "

"What were you doing in my room, anyway?"

Emmett laughed again, "Yeah, because that's what really matters right now. Not what was _Bella_ doing in your room, in your bed… but what was _I_ doing?" Emmett shook his head. "Give it up, Edward, and tell me what the fuck is going on?"

"I told you already. We just fell asleep, Emmett. Nothing happened."

"You just fell asleep?" Emmett's eyes narrowed. "What the hell was she doing in your bed to begin with?"

Edward was starting to sweat. "I don't know!"

"You don't know? You don't know how she got into your bed? Were you drunk?"

"No!"

"So, she just decided to get in your bed?"

"Yeah," Edward answered, grasping at anything. "No! I mean…. Shit, Emmett, would you stop laughing at me so I can explain?" Edward took a deep breath. "Look, she wasn't feeling well and she asked if she could lie down for a few minutes. She fell asleep and I couldn't get her to wake up."

Emmett scowled, "_That's_ your story?"

"It's true!" At least shades of it were true.

"Why the hell didn't she just lie down in Alice's room?"

"Obviously you haven't _seen_ Alice's room lately. You can't even find the bed! And, besides, she said the house was too quiet and empty. It was freaking her out."

Emmett looked at him accusingly. "So… Edward… she falls into a dead sleep and you just decide to get into bed _with _her?" he asked. "Tell me again I don't have to kick your ass!"

"Damn it, Em! I didn't do anything!"

"Hmmm…" Emmett eyed him a little too closely while taking several sips from his can. "Interesting," he finally remarked.

"What the hell does that me?" Edward asked suspiciously.

"Just interesting," Emmett continued. "You let Bella lie down in your room. You give a shit that she's freaked out. And, at least according to your story, you act like a perfect gentleman."

"Yeah? So?"

"I'm just saying, you're being awfully good to someone you totally hate." Emmett looked like he was trying to solve a really difficult math problem.

"I'm not always an ass." Edward protested

"And Bella's not always a shrew, is she?" Emmett challenged. "And, she just happens to be pretty fucking gorgeous."

Edward tried to look unaffected by that comment. "If you say so."

"Right!" Emmett laughed. "Like you've never noticed!"

"Fuck, Emmett! You're talking about _Bella_!"

"I know who I'm talking about. That's what makes this so damn wired." Emmett shuttered. "Even thinking about it makes my head want to explode, but - fuck, Edward - I know what I saw last night. You two were just so…_close… _Oh, shit, I don't know." Emmett stood up. "Fine, Bro. We'll go with your explanation and no ass kicking needed. I'm just saying it's all very strange."

"Whatever, Emmett, just do me one favor," Edward asked. "Don't mention this to anyone. I'd rather just forget it."

"Of all the people for you to _accidently_ end up in bed with." Emmett shook his head. "If it was an accident..."

"Emmett…"

"Who would fucking believe me, anyway? You and Bella? Even Alice would think I made it up! But you'd better not pull that shit when mom and dad get home today, or at least one of you will be spending there rest of Spring Break under lock and key."

Bella took that moment to drag herself into the kitchen, her eyes barely opened as she stifled a yawn.

"Morning, Bells," Emmett smirked. "Rough night?"

Edward leaned over to smack the back of his brother's head, but Bella didn't even notice.

"Does anyone want to know every detail of Alice's first date with Jasper?" she asked leaning against the refrigerator door and rubbing her eyes. "Because she woke me up at four a.m. to give me the play by play and she only shut up an hour ago."

"Thought you slept too hard to wake up…" Emmett started, but Edward smacked the back of his head again.

"Apparently they ran out of gas," Bella continued without bothering to see if anyone was listening, "but I can't remember is that's what really happened or if that's just the official story. I tried to tune her out, but she doesn't make it very easy."

Bella had dropped her head back and it looked like she was about to slide to the floor. Edward wanted to put his arm around her or at least get her a chair, but he knew Emmett was watching him. He had to remember how he would have responded to Bella a few days ago.

"You should go back to bed," he told her brusquely, "You look like Hell."

"I feel like Hell," Bella announced without concern. She opened her eyes and raised her arm slowly to point to Emmett's can. "Can I have one of those?" she asked.

"I thought you said Red Bull tastes like ass," he reminded her.

"Yes, but I don't think my taste buds are awake enough to care."

Emmett got up and moved Bella so he could open the refrigerator door. Taking her by the arms, he led her to the table where she collapsed into a chair. She leaned forward on her arms and Edward wish he could reach over and rub her back. She didn't look like Hell, of course. Her damp hair had dried and now hung wild around her shoulders with that sexy "just out of bed" look. Maybe he could take her back to bed, he thought wickedly as Emmett popped the top and set a can of Red Bull beside her on the table. She turned her blurry eyes to look at it a moment before lifting her head enough to take a drink.

"I'd rather have Root Beer," she said softly, not looking at Edward but with a definite smirk on her face. Damn, he wished he could kiss her!

"You'd rather have what?" Emmett asked.

"A beer," Bella replied. "I'd rather have a beer."

"You hate beer."

"Not as much as I hate Red Bull, and my head is killing me."

"Edward's right, you should just go back to bed. You're not making any more sense then he is this morning"

"Too late," Bella told him, chugging two more long drinks. "I've got too much caffeine in my now."

Emmett laughed, "Yup, that's why I drink the shit!"

Bella dropped her head back down on her arms. Emmett ruffled the hair that now obscured her face before he walked out of the kitchen. After a moment Edward began to wonder if Bella had fallen asleep, but then her muffled voice asked, "Emmett? Are you still here?"

Edward chuckled, "No, Bella. He went upstairs."

"Oh," she said drowsily, still speaking into the table top. Then her face turned and her eyes twinkled as she looked at Edward. "Then why aren't you kissing me?"

Edward sat in the chair next to her. Putting his hand on the small of her back, he rubbed her smooth skin under her shirt. "Because, baby," he said huskily. "We have to be careful."

She arched her back into his touch and sighed, "Hmmm…. Since when?"

"Since Emmett walked in on us last night."

That got her attention.

"Holy shit!" she gasped as her head shot up. "Walked in on us, as in… saw us? Together? You mean, when we were in your room?" Bella was whispering so frantically she may as well have been shouting.

Edward nodded, a little amused at her animated reaction. "Yes, Emmett saw us last night, sound asleep and cuddled up together in my bed."

"Oh, fuck! So, he knows? He knows about… about us?"

Edward brushed the hair out of her eyes. "No," he told her reassuringly. "I made some lame excuse. Told him we just fell asleep and nothing happened."

"He bought that?" she asked incredulously. "No way. There is no way he saw us like we were last night and he bought that."

Edward smiled remembering exactly how they had been last night. "I know what you mean, but I think it was just easier for him to believe that than to wrap his head around the alternative."

Bella grinned, "People believe what they want, I guess."

"For now, but he's still suspicious. And he pointed out that if my parents had been the ones to see us…" Edward trailed off dramatically.

"No more sleep-over's?"

"Probably not."

"Fine, I get it." Bella pouted. "But I'm still waiting for my kiss."

Edward smiled and leaned in to kiss her lips softly. She put her hand on his cheek and drew him back for another.

"Besides," she said, scooting closer to rest her head on his shoulder. "It will be easier for me than for you."

"What will be easier for you?"

"Behaving," she replied innocently. "I won't be the one to get us caught."

"Wait a minute," Edward tensed as he felt Bella's hand move to his thigh. "Are you implying that I have less control than you?"

"Mmmm…." Bella turned her face and kissed his neck. "I'm just saying it will be harder for you…" she slid her hand to the inside of his thigh and started to move it higher. "… to keep your hands to yourself."

"Well, who seems to be having trouble keeping their hands to themselves now?" Edward's challenge came out as a moan as Bella started to suck on his neck.

"We're _alone_ now," she told him. "It doesn't count. But when we aren't alone…" her hand crept under his shirt to stoke his tight abs. "… you will lose control before I do."

Edward sucked in his breath at the feel of her hand, but he replied, "I don't think so, Bella."

"Really?" She kissed up to his jaw. "Or do you still just hate to see me win?"

Edward was about to make a retort when Bella suddenly shifted to his chair so that she was straddling him. Her mouth settled firmly on his and his hands immediately went to her ass. He pulled her into him and they both groaned. Their mouths opened and they were kissing hungrily. Bella rocked against him as she clung to his shoulders. Each time she made contact it was like a shot of electricity went through them. Edward started to slide his hand under her shirt but she suddenly pulled back from him.

"What was that?" she asked her breathing heavy.

"What?" Edward pulled her back. "It's nothing."

He was kissing her again, teasing her lips with this tongue, when they both heard the car door slam. They broke apart just in time to hear the second door slam as well. Then they heard voices in the garage.

"Shit!" Edward hissed.

"Your parents?" Bella jumped off his lap, frantically turning in a circle trying to find an escape.

"Upstairs," Edward whispered, pushing her in front of him. He stumbled on the way up and cursed, making Bella giggled.

They made it to the landing just as the door to the garage opened. Carlisle and Esme were talking quietly as they dragged suitcases inside. Edward caught Bella in the hall upstairs and grabbed her from behind, putting his hand over her mouth playfully to shush her. They could hear the shower water and knew that Emmett was in the bathroom. Alice was most likely asleep. Footsteps moved through the living room and toward the back bedroom on the first floor. Edward removed his hand and started to tug Bella toward his room.

"Wait…" she whispered, her eyes sparkling as she turned around and tilted her head toward the bathroom.

Edward wasn't deterred as he pulled her against him. "He won't be out for a few minutes at least," he whispered, keeping Bella pressed to him while he backed down the hall.

She opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her with his tongue. Bella moaned and sucked it deeper into her warm mouth, pressing it between hers and the roof of her mouth. The feeling made Edward react without thinking and he slammed her hard against the wall, rubbing against her as his hand moved down on her thigh. Her arms went around his back as he lifted her leg up and around his waist. They kissed each other forcefully, the picture frames on the wall shaking in protest of their harsh movements.

"They'll hear us…" Bella groaned against his mouth. She moved her hands down his chest and started to push him back. Edward growled in frustration as he lowered her leg, but his lips continued to move across her neck. Bella chuckled seductively, "Tell me again who's going to have more trouble controlling themselves?"

Edward pulled back and Bella couldn't hide the disappointment on her face. He grinned at her knowingly. "We'll see, baby," he challenged. He moved his hands down to grab her ass, pulling her pelvis up against his roughly and making her squeal. They both moaned and he quickly released her. Bella staggered back and smirked at him before turning towards Alice's room. She didn't dare look back, knowing he was watching her and the affect his stare could have.

Once safely inside the bedroom, she saw that Alice was still passed out under the covers. In spite of the Red Bull, Bella realized she did want to get a few more hours of sleep. She flopped back down on the bed and eventually heard Emmett go back to his room. Not long after she heard the bathroom door again and assumed Edward had gone to take a shower. That gave her mind all kinds of wicked things to fantasize about and soon she was blissfully dreaming. Unfortunately, it only lasted a few hours and the next time she was awakened it was even worse than Alice's hyper story-telling.

"All right kids! Time to get up!" There was a loud banging down the hall, followed by an even louder banging on Alice's door. "Up! Up! Get up!" Carlisle's voice echoed much too cheerfully for the mission he was on.

"I'm going to kill my father," Alice's muffled voice announced from under her covers.

The clock showed 10:30 and the sun peaking behind the curtains was even brighter than before.

There was another knock on the door, "Alice? Bella? Come on, girls. Time to get up," Carlisle's voice was a little softer, but just as annoyingly cheerful. "I want you both in the kitchen in two minutes."

Alice just groaned again. "Why couldn't they have stayed gone for the whole week like your parents?" she complained as she slowly sat up in bed.

Bella got up and went to haul Alice to her feet. She liked how the Cullen's always treated her like one of their own. She had spent so much time here over the years that she never felt like a guest. She wouldn't want it any other way.

"Come on, Al," she urged as Alice tried to sit back down on the bed. "You'll know he'll just come back and drag you out of bed himself. Let's go see what this is all about." When Alice still hesitated, Bella added, "Maybe they brought presents back." That got Alice moving, her face lit up with curiosity as she followed Bella to the kitchen.

Edward and Emmett were already downstairs, diving into a box of donuts on the counter. "Thank mom!" Emmett said with his mouth full and his lips coated in powdered sugar.

Esme was sitting at the table and Alice walked over to give her a sleepy hug. Esme kissed her cheek than reached up to kiss Bella's cheek too. "How are you girls?" she asked. "Everything going OK?" Her mom radar was on alert for anything questionable? Both girls looked a little more excited than usual and Esme gave them a second look.

"Alice has a new boyfriend," Edward announced, both to embarrass his sister and to keep the attention away from Bella.

Alice shot him a glare, but there was no force behind it. She was too excited to share any news about Jasper.

"Well I guess that explains her distraction," Carlisle said, coming in from the living room. "I thought you were going to take care of the house while we were gone?" When Alice looked down guiltily, he turned to the boys. "And I thought the yard was supposed to get cleaned up this weekend." The boys averted their eyes as well. "What about the Jeep, Emmett? Did you take it in to be serviced like I asked?"

"Yeah, well, I was going to take it in today, Dad." Emmett explained.

"You're right. You are," his father continued. "Then you are going to come back here and mow the grass and trim the edges. All the edges."

"The whole yard?" Emmett's face fell. "What about Edward?"

"Edward is going to clean out the back shed and haul all the trash away."

"How much of the shed?" Edward asked in alarm.

"All of it. I want it completely emptied and cleaned. Your mother is going to use it for her green house this summer."

"That's right, so it would be really nice if the windows were cleaned too, dear." Esme told him.

Edward's shoulders slumped, but he answered, "Yeah, OK."

"And, Alice," Carlisle walked over and put his arm around his daughter. "I thought the arrangement was that if we let you have a party you would make sure this house was spotless when we got back? So, let me ask you, are there any dishes in this house that are actually clean? And, should I even look in your room?" In spite of his reprimand, Carlisle grinned at her and gave her shoulders a squeeze.

Alice smiled back and signed, "Yeah, yeah, Bella and I will get right on it."

"Hey, that's not fair!" Edward remarked. Everyone looked at him in surprised. "Alice will get Bella to do all the work and then she won't have to do anything," he explained quickly, realizing too late that he shouldn't have said anything. But the way Alice used Bella was starting to irritate him. Geez, he was becoming protective.

"I will not!" Alice snapped.

Emmett laughed, "Actually, he's right. We've all seen it. You stand around chatting and Bella does all your chores."

"Is that true, Alice?" Esme asked. "Well, Bella can just do something else today."

"Oh, no, I want to help!" Bella spoke up, wishing Edward hadn't said anything. She didn't mind doing Alice's work because they still had fun together. And she didn't like being singled out.

"OK, sweetheart," Esme said, "You can help Edward, then."

"Mom!" Alice cried, horrified, as Emmett laughed even harder. "You can't do that to her! That's not fair!"

"Actually, it's a good idea," Carlisle agreed. "Edward is probably going to need the most help."

Dad!" Alice screamed at him too. "Bella doesn't want to work with _Edward_! And that's all dirty, heavy work. Be nice!"

"Oh, Alice, don't be silly," Esme told her. She looked at Edward and added, "Your brother knows how to behave himself and I'm sure they can get along for a few hours."

Emmett pretended to choke and cough as he added, "Oh yeah, they can get along much better these days."

Edward just glared at him.

"But, Alice is right about the heavy work, Bella." Carlisle put his other arm around her in a fatherly gesture. "I don't want you trying to help with any of the lifting. Just the little things and opening the door when he needs to move the big stuff. Is that OK?"

"Sure," Bella tried to smile weakly like she was just being a good sport but it was hard to fight the huge grin that wanted to burst across her face.

Edward did his best to look pissed. He knew he couldn't keep it up if he looked at Bella, though, so he grabbed another donut from the box and mumbled something about getting started as he walked toward the back door.

"I'll get the cleaning supplies," Bella yelled after him, like she was trying to be helpful.

"Whatever," Edward grumbled for affect.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," Alice told her. "You're never going to want to stay here again after this week."

"That's not likely," Bella replied, unable to stop this smile this time.

Edward was already moving things outside by the time Bella arrived at the shed with a plastic bucket full of cleaning supplies. The shed was at the very edge of the Cullen's back property and, because it couldn't be seen from the house, had become a run down, eye-sore in recent years. Bella watched Edward walk out of the side door with his arms full of old 2X4's that had once been used to edge a garden. He dropped the boards on a pile and turned when he saw her. She had changed into a T-shirt and a pair of lose, cut-off jeans that came to her mid thigh. Her long hair was pulled into a pony-tail and her face looked bright and clear in the sun light.

"Hey, beautiful," he smiled at her as she approached.

"Hey, yourself," she smiled back, reaching up on her toes to give him a quick kiss. It was amazing how natural and right it felt to do that. "I don't know if I should thank you or not for this arrangement," she told him as she peered inside the shed and stared at all the junk. "This place is a mess."

"Oh, it really won't be so bad," he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind and nuzzling her ear. "And you should definitely thank me."

Bella reached up to grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards the door. "Then come inside," she said suggestively.

They stumbled through the doorway together into the dark room. Bella dropped the bucket she was carrying as Edward pulled her into his arms. She sighed into his mouth as he kissed her deeply, her hands running up and down his chest and feeling the muscles under his cotton shirt. Breaking the kiss slowly, Bella leaned the length of her body against his and whispered in his ear.

"Before we get all sweaty and dirty, there is something I've been wanting to do." Her breath was warm against his cheek and he tensed at her words. She softly kissed his jaw and nestled her face into his neck. "Is that OK?" she asked shyly.

Edward felt his heart rate speed up. Damn, she could get to him without even trying. He nodded against her head, pretty sure he couldn't manage a verbal answer.

She ran her hands down the sides of his arms and back up the front of his chest again. Moving her lips back and forth across his throat she whispered, "Take your shirt off."

Bella could feel Edward swallow against her mouth. "What?" he asked.

"Take your shirt off," she told him again, louder this time. She stepped back to look at him and held his gaze, "Please."

Edward forgot to breath. Without breaking her stare he lifted the hem of his T-shirt and pulled it over his head. He heard Bella's intake of breath before he even had it off. When he looked at her again he saw that her breathing had sped up too. She tentatively reached out her hand and ran the tips of her fingers from his throat down to his waist. Her eyes seemed to be absorbing every inch of him and it was all he could do to stand still.

"Close your eyes," she spoke softly, still gazing where her fingers touched.

Without a thought he did as she asked and the only warning he got was the quick sound of a can being popped opened. Before he knew what was happening cold, fizzy liquid was pouring through his hair and down his body. It ran in his face and made a splattering sound as it hit the floor.

"Bella! What the hell?!" Edward yelled as he jumped back and opened his eyes. Bella was standing in front of him smiling like an unrepentant child holding an empty can of Root Beer. "Are you fucking kidding me? I can't believe you did that!"

"Pay back's a bitch, baby," she told him triumphantly, now grinning ear to ear.

"You're crazy!" he yelled, not finding the situation at all funny. "Look at the mess you made!"

"Yeah," she giggled as the Root Beer continued to drip into his eyes. "You are a mess, all right."

"Damn it, Bella! Now we just have to clean this up too!" He started trying to wipe it off his face, "Shit, this stuff is sticky!"

"Ahhh… well we can't have you all sticky," Bella's voice was less mocking now as she dropped the can and walked over to him. "Sticky isn't good."

Edward was still scowling when Bella leaned in closer to him and slowly licked the Root Beer off the side of his neck. "Mmmm… that _is_ sticky," she murmured against his skin. "We need to clean that off." She moved her tongue across the front of his throat and licked up the other side to the back of his ear. "Sticky, sticky," she whispered as she started sucking on his shoulder. Damn, he had the arms of a god! She opened her mouth and bit down on the muscle there. "Sticky and sweet," she moaned as she dragged her mouth down the bend of his elbow and back.

Determined to remain pissed off, Edward tried not to react to her ministration, but the texture of her wet tongue against his skin was becoming impossible to ignore. When Bella moved lower and began to slowly lick the droplets off his chest he couldn't stop himself from moaning. She flicked her tongue across one of his nipples and he hissed.

"Fuck, Bella!" he groaned.

"Hmmmm?" she hummed against him. "Sticky here too."

Her mouth began to suck at the skin over his stomach and she could feel his muscles contracting. He was panting now and when Bella moved to her knees his breath came out in a rush. Still only touching with her mouth, she stroked her tongue just above his waist band. She pulled on the button of his jeans with her teeth teasingly and laughed softly when Edward's hips bucked.

Returning to her feet, Bella walked behind Edward to lick the back of his neck and across his shoulders. "Still sticky," she spoke low and pulled on his ear with her mouth. "What are we going to do about that?"

"You're killing me, Bella," Edward groaned, closing his eyes and throwing his head back.

"We can't have that," she stated, pulling away and walking back over to her supply bucket. She pulled out another can of Root Beer and popped it open to take a sip. "Mmmm," she licked her lips and smirked at him. "I'm really starting to love that taste." She moved to stand in front of him again. "Do you want to try it?" she asked.

Edward's eyes were glued to her lips as he reached for the can, but at the last moment Bella took a long drink herself and quickly kissed him. The sweet liquid flowed from her mouth to his, followed by her tongue. When she pulled back after a few seconds they both swallowed and licked their lips.

Holy shit that was hot! Bella couldn't believe how bold she was being or the effect Edward had on her, but she loved the effect she was having on him. She draped her arms around his neck loosely. "So, are we even now?" she asked looking up at him?

Edwards pulled her against his bare chest and lowered his face so it was only an inch from hers. "Not even close," he chuckled.

"Hmm," Bella mused, unconcerned. "That sounds serious."

"I think it could get _very_ serious," Edward told her bringing his mouth even closer.

"Bring it on, Mr. Self-control," Bella chided, "I can't wait."

Edward kissed her hard, holding her against him tightly. When he finally released her they were both out of breath.

"I think that had better be enough of that, for now," Bella declared as she took several steps away from him.

"Having trouble with _your_ self-control?"

Bella laughed. "We're alone, so it doesn't count. But it's your ass that will be in trouble if this shed doesn't get cleaned out. It won't be my fault. I mean, everyone knows what I good girl I am."

Edward winked at her joke, "Right, if they only knew."

Bella threw Edward a towel and picked up her supplies to start cleaning windows while Edward continued to carry the old wood outside. After awhile she started helping him box up the smaller items so they could be hauled away and the rest could be bagged up for garbage. In the early afternoon, Bella went back to the house for some lunch, but Edward kept working so she brought a sandwich out to him. For the rest of the day Edward never got around to putting his shirt back on, for which Bella was extremely grateful. His chest was covered in sweat from carrying the heavier objects and more than once Bella used her clumsiness as an excuse when she dropped things, when she had really just been gawking at his body.

Bella was climbing a ladder to change a light bulb during one of these distracted moments. Edward walked in from the outside wiping the perspirations from his neck and Bella missed a step. Her foot slipped off the rung and she fell backwards. Luckily Edward caught her from behind and laughed low in her ear.

"Are we not keeping our eyes on our own work?" he teased still holding her up.

Damn! He knew she'd been watching him. He was probably doing that shit on purpose. She was just about to give him a come-back, when she felt his whole body tense. He wasn't laughing anymore.

"What's wrong?" she asked as he stood her back up on the ladder and turned her to face him.

She watched as he reached for the frayed end of her cut-offs and pulled it up higher on her left leg. Gasping, she tried to push his hands away, but she knew what he'd already seen. The lose denim had gapped during her fall and shown the bruise she had been trying to cover up. Still, she made an attempt to keep it hidden.

"Don't," she said softly as he tried again to look at her upper thigh.

"Did he do that to you?" Edward's voice was so quiet she could barely hear him, but he'd never sounded so furious. He sounded dangerous.

"It's just a bruise," she told him self-consciously. "It's OK."

"Then let me see it."

Bella hesitated for a moment before carefully rolling up the hem of her shorts to reveal the dark, ugly bruise that Jacob had made with his knee. It was deep, so deep it was a hideous mix of purple and black. It was larger than her palm, almost as big as her whole hand, and went to the top of her leg. She couldn't stand to look at it so she tried to watch Edward as he examined it but that was even harder to see. His eyes were narrowed and cold.

"Nothing about this is 'OK,' Bella," he told her quietly. His long fingers were amazingly gentle as he probed the mark, but she still flinched when he got to the most sensitive part. Edward snatched his hand way immediately. "I'm so sorry, baby," he whispered sadly.

"No, don't worry. It's just a little tender," she told him, not wanting him to feel bad. "It will go away soon."

"I should have killed that son-of-a-bitch," Edward said more to himself. How could anyone hurt Bella like this? That bastard!

"No, Edward. You did enough," she tried to reassure him, reaching out to stroke his hair. "It's over now. Remember?"

He looked up at her. "Are you going to tell your father what happened?" he asked. "Or Alice?"

"I… I don't think so."

"Why?"

"I don't want to upset my dad."

"Well, of course he'll be upset, Bella. Someone tried to hurt his daughter!"

"That's not what I mean. Jacob's dad, Billy, is my dad's best friend. And dad really likes Jacob. This will make it impossible for them to be friends and I don't want my dad to lose his best friend."

"Bella, if that happens that would be Jacob's doing, not yours."

"But the result would be the same. My dad would be unhappy." When Edward was about to protest again, she added, "I'll think about it. But, later. I don't want to think about it right now. OK?"

Edward could see she was getting upset and he didn't want that. He bent down and slowly placed a kiss on her bruise, careful not to touch the sensitive part. His lips were moving nearer to her inner thigh and Bella felt her stomach begin to tighten. She sighed and moved her fingers in his hair again.

"Your hair is still sticky," she giggled softly.

Edward knew she was trying to change the subject and lighten the mood. "I suppose we should finish so we have time to get cleaned up for dinner."

Bella nodded, "You know we'll have to race Alice and Emmett for the shower or one of us will be without hot water."

"Hmmm… too bad we can't conserve water by taking one together…."

"Edward Cullen!" Bella pretended to be shocked. "Where do you get these ideas?"

Edward just laughed and kissed her, content that she was smiling again. "Why don't you go on inside and grab the first shower? Tell my mom that all the light work is done out here so I don't need your help anymore."

"Are you sure?" Bella asked. "This might be our last chance to be alone for awhile. Is your self-control ready for the challenge?"

"We'll see whose ready," Edward said kissing her neck as she giggled.

Bella was still giggling when Edward saw her helping his mom in the kitchen an hour later. She had showered and changed into a pair of tight Capri pants and a long tank top that hugged her gorgeous curves. Damn, was she already trying to torture him or was it just a happy coincidence?

"Sorry, slow poke," Bella taunted, stirring a sauce pan on the stove. "Emmett and Alice already beat you, so it's probably ice water for you."

Edward played the game of being irritated with her. "Great. Did you take an extra long shower on purpose?"

"Of course," Bella replied.

"Edward, don't be rude." Esme scolded, although she was as used to their bickering as everyone else and didn't give it much thought. She didn't even look up from the vegetables she was chopping when she made her remark, so Edward winked at Bella who stuck her tongue out at him playfully. The site of that tongue brought some pleasant memories to mind.

"Emmett is still in the shower now, so there is no need to rush upstairs," Esme went on. "Why don't you set the table for us, would you, dear?"

Edward had put his T-shirt back on, but he was still covered in dirt and sweat… not to mention Root Beer. Pointing to himself he said, "Mom, I'm kind of a mess, if you haven't noticed. What's the big rush with setting the table?"

"Company tonight," Bella announced. "The prince and princess are dining with us."

"Jasper and Rosalie?" Edward guessed walking closer to the stove.

"It's a parent's right to know who their kids are involved with," Esme said, not seeing the look that passed between Bella and Edward. "I thought we could all have a nice family dinner together."

Esme was still facing the counting chopping peppers for the salad when Edward walked behind Bella so she missed how he paused to run his hand through her soft hair, now hanging lose down her back. He held a few tresses to his face and inhaled the strawberry sent. Bella turned her head to shoot him a warning look, but couldn't stop herself from grinning instead. He was so glad to see her happy right then that all he wanted to do was lean over and kiss her.

"How does the sauce taste, Bella?" Esme asked. Edward quickly step back from her.

Bella drop a small amount of sauce from the spoon on her index finger and lifted it to her mouth. As Edward watched she took the finger deeply into her mouth and sucked on its entire length before slowly pulling it out. "Mmm, it's delicious, Esme," Bella said and choked down a laugh when she saw Edward swallow and walk stiffly out of the room. That would have to be a point for her.

Never one to be a good loser, Edward decided he would have to step up the game at dinner. Everyone had arrived and the table set by the time Edward finished cleaning up and came back downstairs. Alice and Jasper were already seated together at the dinning room table looking at each other dreamily. Bella was sitting on Alice's other side and the seat across from her was empty.

"Hey, Jazz," Edward greeted him as he quickly claimed the seat across from Bella. "So, have you gone through the parental grilling yet?"

"Don't start freaking him out, Edward," Alice scolded.

Emmett and Rosalie came in from the kitchen just in time to hear that remark. "Trust me," Rosalie told Jasper, "The Cullens are so much better than my parents. Emmett is still afraid to even be at my house when my dad is home."

"That's because Emmett's a wimp," Edward teased and was rewarded by a head lock from his older brother.

"Boys, behave," Esme sighed, walking in with a large salad bowl that she placed on the table. She took the seat at the end of the table by Bella and Edward.

Emmett pulled out the chair next to Edward for Rosalie sit down. She smiled at him when he sat down on her other side and kissed his cheek. Emmett grinned like an idiot. He really was taken with her. Edward suddenly wished he could show Bella that same kind of affection openly. But, then again, it was going to be so much fun making her squirm around the family. He looked up just then and caught her watching him. She quickly averted her gaze and he had to fight to keep from smiling.

Carlisle finally came in from his study, apologizing for having to take a phone call from the hospital, and sat at the far end of the table as Esme started to serve the salad. "Jasper, Rosalie, I'm so glad you could both join our family tonight," Carlisle said politely.

"What about Bella?" Emmett joked, looking down the table at her. "You're not glad she's here? I mean, she is a pain to have around."

Bella made a face at Emmett and laughed, enjoying his teasing.

"Bella is already a part of the family," Esme smiled lovingly, patting Bella's arm.

Bella returned her smile fondly. Esme had been like an aunt to her all her life and she really did love her.

"That's right," Emmett went on with a twinkle in his eye. "She's just like another sister to us… to _all_ of us. Right, Alice? _Right_, Edward?"

That shit-head! Edward wished he was sitting close enough to kick Emmett in the shin. He knew his brother was trying to bait him with that remark. Bella was never like a fucking sister to him! And, damn it all, if Emmett's comment didn't make his eyes glance up at Bella without his permission. She had just picked up a sliced cucumber and bit into it slowly as he watched. Why did the site of her mouth in action do such intense things to him? She licked the juice off her lips with her tongue and smacked them a little before taking another bite. She needed to fucking stop doing that shit or he wasn't going to make it through the meal.

No, no, no… how the hell was she still getting the best of him? She'd had the upper hand way to much today. Time to fight back. Edward knew it was a risk with his mom sitting so close, but he cautiously moved his leg forward under the table until he found Bella's foot. He knew it was her foot because her fork stopped moving the moment he touched it. Grateful that he'd only put on a pair of socks, he began to stroke the top of her bare foot until he pulled her flip-flop off with his toe.

Bella tried to take another bite of salad, but her stomach was suddenly too tied up in knots. What the fuck was he doing? What if someone glanced under the table and saw? Edward shifted his foot to lift hers and started stroking the underneath. Shit, how could that small movement cause a pulsing sensation all the way up her leg? Fuck that, it was causing sensations _between_ her legs. Just his toe was doing this? She was in so much trouble.

She decided she would try to ignore him, or at least pretend it wasn't affecting her. "So, how was your weekend in Seattle?" she asked Esme and Carlisle.

"Delightful," Esme exclaimed as she and Carlisle exchanged a knowing look.

"Ahhh! No details! No detail!" all three of the Cullen children exclaimed in horror.

"I think that's so sweet!" Rosalie told them. "My parents should go away together more. Where are your parents this week, Bella?"

Bella started to reply, but Edward took that moment to move his foot higher so he was caressing the inside of her calf. She had to pretend to cough to cover her sudden intake of breath. Edward kept his eyes glued to his salad but, damn it, he wished he could watch her face.

"They are in Vancouver," Bella finally managed to say. "Sort of a second honeymoon for them. Actually, they never really got to take a first one so it's been a long time coming."

"A week with your parents away?" Jasper laughed. "You're so lucky."

"I like staying here," Bella told them, grinning again at Esme. "It would get too lonely in my house, and I think I'd be scared to stay there all alone."

Edward suddenly looked up at her, but then quickly looked back down. He smirked to himself. He couldn't help it. How had this never occurred to him before? Bella's house was empty. Just a big empty house where no one would be for the rest of the week? Shit, that gave him a lot of ideas.

Still trying to control the grin on his face, Edward moved his leg even higher so he could press it between Bella's knees. She gasped, and then coughed again to cover it up.

"Are you all right, dear?" Esme asked.

"Yeah," she replied, still coughing. "Um, I'm just gonna go get something else to drink, if that's OK. I'll be right back"

"Of course," Esme told her as Bella got up and walked around the table to the kitchen. She wished she could smack Edward on the way by but, of course, she couldn't.

She retuned a moment later and took her seat again. Edward was refusing to look at her, wondering if he dare try the foot move again, when he suddenly heard the pop of a can top. He looked up in reflex and saw her sitting across from him smugly drinking a can of Root Beer. He watched as she took a long drink and held the liquid in her mouth, pursing her lips before slowly swallowing it. She sucked her lips into her mouth and then took another slow drink. A small part of Edward's brain knew he should look away, but all he could think about was drinking from her mouth earlier and the way her tongue had felt as she licked the Root Beer off his skin. Fucking hell, he couldn't even breath.

"Edward, dear, will you help me carry the roast in?" Esme asked.

Edward realized his mother was talking to him and forced his mind back to the present. "Sure," he said standing up and hoping he remembered how to walk. He needed to get Bella back for that one.

"Oh, Esme!" Bella exclaimed in real alarm. "I'm so sorry. I forgot to finish mixing the sauce." Damn it, thoughts of Edward really had been distracting her. "It will only take me a minute."

"That's fine, Bella," Esme told her calmly, "We have time."

Bella stood up quickly and dashed into the kitchen. She returned to the stove and started heating up the sauce again as she reached for several spices in the cabinet above her. She heard the kitchen door open and knew Esme had come to check the roast. She started to measure the ingredients quickly so it would be ready by the time she served it.

A large container of onion powder hit the floor when Bella was suddenly spun around. She gasped as she felt Edward's mouth come down on hers hard. He pressed her up against the counter and both his hands went immediately to her breasts. Bella whimpered and gripped the counter top behind her. Edward plunged his tongue into her mouth and slid his knee between her legs. His palm rubbed circles over her hardening nipples and she was overwhelmed by his obvious desire. Her breasts already ached and she wanted to rub herself on his knee. Fuck, he was sending her over the edge. She opened her mouth wider so he could taste her more deeply and couldn't stop herself from moaning. She knew she was going to get them caught but she couldn't make her sounds stop.

When Edward pulled back she found she was panting. She knew her face was flushed and her lips were red. His expression was entirely too satisfied when he saw his effect on her.

He leaned down to whisper, "Are we having a little trouble with our self-control?"

She was, but she knew he was too. "Yes, Edward," she told him, her voice coming out in a sexy moan. She leaned forward, rubbing her body against his as she rose up to breath in his ear. "You are making me wet…."

FUCKING SHIT! How did she do that?!

Edward groaned and pushed away from her. How was he supposed to walk back into the dining room now? It felt like the zipper on his jeans was about to split open from the pressure. Hell, he couldn't let his mother walk in and see him in this state. With a frustrated growl he started toward the stairs.

"You are so paying for that," he whispered to Bella on his way out.

She just laughed and calmly went back to stirring the sauce.

"Where is Edward?" Esme asked when she came in a moment later.

"He had to go change. There was a little…. accident." Bella told her, trying her damnedest not to smile.

The roast was on the table by the time Edward returned and he decided it was probably not a good idea to continue playing with Bella during dinner. All kidding aside, they really were going to get caught if they didn't cool it. The rest of the meal passed with a lot of jokes and laughter. A few sly looks were exchanged between Edward and Bella, but the dangerous flirting was put on hold. Just as everyone was finishing up, the house phone rang in the kitchen and Carlisle, thinking it was the hospital, got up to answer it. He returned immediately and told Bella her father wanted to speak to her.

"I can call him later," Bella said politely. "I don't want to interrupt the meal."

"Nonsense," Carlisle told her. "I'm sure they've been missing you."

"Go ahead, dear," Esme agreed. "We won't serve desert without you," she added as Bella got up from the table and went into the kitchen.

"What is for desert?" Alice asked. She'd hardly spoken all evening, too distracted staring at Jasper.

"I don't think you'd notice if she served rocks for desert, Alice," Edward teased.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked defensively.

"You're just a little preoccupied." Emmett joined in, winking at her.

"Is that right? And you're not?" she smirked at him.

"Oh, I am. I am." Emmett admitted giving Rosalie a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Well, I'm not serving rocks," Esme said, not hiding her amusement. She liked seeing her children happy.

"So, what are we having?" Emmett asked eagerly.

"Why don't you go in the kitchen and get it out of the refrigerator? But don't slice it yet," she called as he jumped up. "We are waiting for Bella."

Edward couldn't help by enjoy how good his parents were to Bella. He realized it was going to feel strange was she wasn't around all the time. He didn't want the week to end.

"Does anyone know what the hell is going on?" Emmett suddenly burst back into the dining room looking concerned. "Bella just ran upstairs crying…."

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**Your reviews are so helpful! Thank you!**

**~Alexanya**


	5. Versions of the Truth

**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to **

**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**

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_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

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**I'M BACK!**

**So sorry for the long break, but I am back now and will be updating regularly again. **

**Thank you for not giving up on me or this story!**

Enemy Mine

Chapter Five: "Versions of the Truth"

"Does anyone know what the hell is going on?" Emmettt suddenly burst back into the dining room looking concerned. "Bella just ran upstairs crying…."

Edward jumped out of his seat before anyone else could react. His chair nearly turned over and he had already taken one step towards Emmettt before he caught himself.

"What are you talking about?" Edward heard himself exclaim. "What happened?"

He wanted to dash up the stairs. He wanted to find Bella. He wanted to hold her and fix whatever was wrong. Damn it, this was so frustrating!

"That's what I'm asking," Emmettt replied anxiously.

"Are you sure she was crying?" Alice asked. "That doesn't sound like Bella. Maybe she was laughing."

"You think I don't know the difference between laughing and crying?" Emmettt snapped.

"Don't get all defensive." Alice got to her feet. "I'll go see what's going on."

Edward was annoyed at his sister's calm attitude and started to follow her through the kitchen. He realized Emmettt was right behind him when they reached the stairs and the three of them went up.

Alice's bedroom door was closed and she started to turn the knob, but stop herself when she heard sniffling on the other side. "Bella?" she called, knocking softly. "Are you OK?"

"Come on, Alice, let's go in," Emmettt said. He was worried about Bella too, in his usual bull-in-a-China-shop way.

Edward could relate to his impatience. He was about to push through Alice to get the door open himself, only he wished he could get rid of his siblings first. Maybe secrecy wasn't important. If Bella really needed him, he didn't give a damn who knew it.

"A little breathing room here, please," Alice gave her brother's a tolerant look. "You know Bella doesn't like to be fussed over so why don't you two go back downstairs and I'll talk to her. Tell Jasper I'm sorry for abandoning him and I won't be long.

Edward felt like he could growl. Bella was in there crying and he was being dismissed by his sister, who clearly would rather be downstairs with her new boyfriend. Before he could give her a reply, though, Alice slipped through the bedroom door and closed it so quickly that he didn't even get a glimpse of Bella inside the room. He wondered if Alice would tell Bella he'd been out in the hall. Would Bella be waiting for him to come inside? Or expecting him to be waiting out here?

"Yeah, OK," Emmettt replied to Alice, even though she was gone. He scratched the back of his head in nervousness. "I guess we should go back downstairs."

"Or we could stay up here and eavesdrop?" Edward suggested.

Emmettt shook his head. "Seriously, what's with you, Bro?" he said under his breath as he led the way down the hall.

Edward clenched his jaw to keep from yelling that it was _his_ girlfriend in there hurt and upset, not Emmettt's! Would Emmettt feel fine with just going downstairs if it was Rosalie who was crying?

Whoa! Wait! Girlfriend? When did he start thinking of Bella as his girlfriend?

Well, wasn't she? At least it felt like she was on her way to becoming that. Things weren't going to change when Spring Break was over, were they?

"Edward!? Are you coming?" Emmettt barked impatiently, snapping Edward out of his thoughts. Reluctantly, he followed his brother back to the dinning room.

"Is everything all right?" Esme asked as the two boys passed through the kitchen.

Emmettt just shrugged, "Alice is talking to her."

They took their seats at the table again and Edward felt a little sorry for Jasper and Rosalie, being left alone to make small talk with Carlisle.

"Sorry, babe," Emmett whispered to Rosalie as Esme set a pie on the table. "We should go ahead and have desert, Mom. Bella will understand."

A few moments latter Alice came back to the table on her own. When everyone looked at her expectantly she just sighed. "She just said she got into an argument with her dad. She didn't want to talk about it."

When desert was finished Edward started helping his mother clear the dishes while Emmettt sat talking with Rosalie at the table and Alice dragged Jasper into the living room. Since his siblings both had guests it seemed a normal thing for him to do, but his helpfulness came with an ulterior motive. He needed to create an excuse to get back upstairs to Bella.

"Mom, what do you want me to do with this last piece of pie?" he asked innocently. "Should we save it?"

"That is Bella's piece," his mom replied exactly as he had known she would.

"Oh, OK." Edward shrugged. "So, do you want me to take it up to her?"

"That would be nice, dear. Yes, thank you for that." Esme patted his cheek and smiled.

Edward transferred the final piece of pie onto a plate and grabbed a fork before making his way up the stairs. He knocked on Alice's door softly and pushed it open without waiting for a reply. Bella was sitting on the edge of the nearest bed, a pillow clutched to her chest and her head down. Edward set the plate on the dresser just inside and shut the door before saying her name.

"Bella…"

Hearing his voice, her head instantly shot up. She saw him standing alone in the room and relief washed through her. With it came a fresh wave of tears.

"Edward," she said softly as she rose up, dropping the pillow, and crossed the room to him. She stepped into his arms, encircling his waist and burying her face in his chest. She breathed in his scent, using it to calm her.

Edward pulled her against him tightly, "Shh… shh… Bella, I'm here. Baby, what's wrong?" He felt, more than heard, Bella's hiccupped sobs against him and she squeezed him ever tighter.

"Everything," Bella whimpered "I don't know what to do." Her voice broke and she started crying openly.

"Alice said you fought with your dad? "

Bella shuttered against him, unable to hold back her sobs. "I… I can't talk about it right now."

"Not even to me? Bella, you can tell me anything."

"I know." She started to cry even harder. "I really do know that."

She didn't say anything else after that and Edward could only think to rock her soothingly. Bella was never prone to dramatics, the way Alice was, and he couldn't imagine what her dad had said to upset her like this. They swayed back and forth gently and Edward stroked her long hair. She nestled her face into his neck, trying to get even closer to him. She felt like she was falling apart and the only thing that could keep the pieces together was being near Edward.

Eventually her crying slowed and she suddenly remembered the others in the house. "Where is Alice? Where is everyone?"

She pulled back just enough to look at Edward. He saw that her eyes were puffy from crying and her cheeks were streaked with tears. He kissed the moisture off of her face as he tried to reassure her.

"They're all downstairs. I told my mom I'd bring you desert."

"They won't expect you to take this long. You shouldn't stay up here."

"Bella, it doesn't matter. If something is wrong, I don't give a damn what they think. I want to be with you."

"But it does matter," she told him, knowing she was about to start crying again. "Now, more than ever."

Edward pushed back further to look at her, "What do you mean?"

"It's just… my father isn't going to be happy if he finds out…. that…. that I've been spending time with you."

It didn't escape Edward's notice that Bella wouldn't look him in the eye while she said this. He felt heat rising to his face and his body tensing up as he asked, "Why?"

"Because he wants me to be spending time with someone else."

"Who?"

Bella still wouldn't look at Edward. He strengthened his hold on her and she leaned her cheek on his chest once more.

"Who, Bella?" he asked again.

"Jacob."

Edward was deathly silent.

"Don't be angry," Bella pleaded when Edward was quiet for too long.

Edward _was_ angry. He was furious at the thought of Jacob anywhere near Bella. But he didn't want her upset any more.

"How could I be angry with you, Bella? I know you don't want to be anywhere near that asshole and I'm going to make sure that you aren't. OK?"

"It's not that simple."

"It doesn't have to be simple. It just is the way it is. He is never going to be near you again. Never!" Edward took a deep breath and went on cautiously. "Sweetheart, did you think more about telling your father what happened with Jacob?"

"I… I did tell him. I tried… " Bella started to cry again. "He didn't believe me. He said I over-reacted or something. And …. And he's angry at you for breaking Jacob's nose." She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "Edward, he wants me to apologize to Jacob and he doesn't want me around you!"

Edward was too stunned to say anything for a moment. That was so fucked up! What the hell was wrong with Charlie? Bella was sobbing against his shoulder now and he couldn't understand how her father could do this to her.

"He didn't believe you? What the hell? He knows you'd never make something like that up!"

"He heard Jacob's side first," Bella's voice was muffled in his shoulder. "Billy was upset when he came home covered in blood. He thought someone had beaten him up and Jake made it sound all wrong. He made it sound like he was the victim. Like you were jealous and I didn't defend him or something… It was all messed up and Billy called my dad and my dad just wouldn't listen to me and…"

"Shh…It's going to be all right. We'll straiten this out," he tried to comfort her. "And there is no fucking way in hell you will ever be apologizing to that son-of-a-bitch!"

"I shouldn't have told you all that now."

"What? Yes, you should have. I always want you to tell me what's wrong."

"I just mean that I should have waited because now you have to go downstairs and act normal and I know I've upset you."

"Of course I'm upset, Baby. When you're upset, I'm upset." Edward pulled back and looked at her. "We'll figure this out, Bella."

She nodded. "Not now, though. Later," she told him, wiping her eyes. "You have to go back downstairs. Please. I don't want anyone coming up here looking for you. Not now."

Edward rested his forehead on hers. "I don't want to leave you when you're still sad."

"I'll be OK. Really." She pressed her face into his neck and breathed in his scent once more before letting him go. "Tell your mom 'thank you' for the desert."

Edward retrieved the plate of pie with a sigh and held it out to her, but she shook her head.

"You eat it," she suggested. "My stomach is all tied up in knots, but I don't want Esme to think I didn't appreciate it."

"You worry too much about everyone else," Edward told her affectionately, stroking her cheek with his fingers.

She tried to smile, but had to bit her lip to keep from crying. Instead she grabbed his face gently with her hands and kissed him. Then she took the fork off the plate and held a big bite up to his mouth. He opened obediently and let her feed it to him. For some reason that simple act put a genuine smile on her face so he kissed her again, opening his mouth slightly to give her a taste.

"See what you are missing?" he teased.

She licked her lips as she gently pushed him out the door, still smiling.

How did Edward do that? How was he able to make her smile even when she felt so wretched? Of course, this is the same Edward who could make her want him passionately even when she was infuriated with him. Her emotions were definitely out of her control when he was around.

Strange as it was, she meant it when she said she knew she could tell him anything. She hadn't been able to open up to Alice earlier. Alice loved her but she was so tied up in her own feelings at the moment Bella had known confiding in her would not have worked. On the other hand, Edward had always been observant when it came to other people. Bella remembered vividly when a new girl in the fifth grade had started making fun of her, saying she looked like a tomato when she got embarrassed which, of course, made her blush even more, Edward had been the only one to notice how much it hurt her feelings. Bella just laughed at herself along with Alice and the rest of the class because, what else are you supposed to do when someone makes you the source of everyone else's amusement? Edward hadn't laughed, though. Instead, he'd told the new girl that _he_ could make her blush plenty, if she wasn't so damn pale. Everyone thought he was flirting with her, including the new girl, but Bella knew he'd done it to make the teasing stop. That was why it always infuriated and upset her when Edward would be so obnoxious towards her. Sweet one minute and a total prick the next! Now she understood better and wondered why they had both been idiots for so long. No wonder things felt so right between them. They were just figuring out what had already been there for years.

And now her father wanted her to stay away from Edward???

Not going to happen! Staying away from Edward was no longer an option. In truth, it never had been. He was a permanent part of her life, now more than ever.

Then there was Jacob. Bella shuttered a little thinking of him. She hadn't let herself think of him much at all since last night. Focusing on Edward and the way he made her feel was so much better. Her father's call had brought it all back, though. Remembering the feel of Jacob's hands on her made her squirm. He was so much stronger than she was and he made her feel so powerless. So helpless and small. How was she going to stand seeing him again? She knew she would have to at some point. Her father thought Jacob was this great kid. Bella got the idea that he thought she was just being stuck up, like she didn't think Jacob was good enough for her.

That hurt. It really, really hurt. She thought her father would always protect her.

She didn't want to think about this anymore and she suddenly didn't want to be alone. Edward was right. They would figure this out some how. They still had all week before her parents came home where she could be with Edward and far away from Jacob. She would concentrate on that for now.

Bella got up and look at herself in the mirror. Ugh, that wasn't a pretty site. Well, it wasn't like the whole house didn't already know she'd been up here crying like a baby. She grabbed a couple of tissues and wiped her face before applying some fresh powder. That was as good as it was going to get and right now she just didn't care.

She left Alice's room and headed down the stairs to the kitchen. Esme and Edward were standing together at the sink rinsing the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. They both turned when they heard Bella enter the room. Esme quickly dried her hands and came over to her.

"Are you OK, Honey?" she asked, draping an arm around Bella's shoulder.

Bella welcomed her embrace gratefully, feeling lucky to be cared about by these wonderful people.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she told her. "I feel bad about all of this, Esme. I didn't mean to upset everyone and ruin your dinner. I'm really sorry."

"Oh, Bella. Now, stop that!" Esme told her with another squeeze. "You don't have anything to apologize for. We are just glad you are feeling better."

Bella was grateful that Esme didn't ask her what was wrong. It might have been because Edward was in the room, but she didn't think she would try to pry into her family business in any case. She just wasn't like that. Bella suddenly gave Esme a hug around her waist, just feeling emotional and vulnerable. She felt herself being hugged back and she really did start to feel better.

"I'll help Edward finish the dishes, Esme. You wanted to get to know Rosalie and Jasper better, so you should go out and visit. Besides, I'm not really in a socializing mood just yet."

Bella gave her a pleading look and Esme nodded.

"Thank you, Honey. I appreciate that." she told her, patting her shoulder once before walking out.

The door to the dining room swung shut and Bella went to take Esme's place at the sink. Edward didn't say anything to her, just handed her the plate he had finished rinsing and she placed it in the dishwasher. They stood together working in silence for a while. Eventually, Bella began to relax and she leaned her shoulder against the side of his arm, just feeling his closeness. Edward rubbed his cheek over the top of her head before handing her the last plate.

All that was left of the dishes were two pans that needed to soak so Edward filled the sink with warm water and poured in some liquid soap. He stirred the soap around with his hand to make it bubble. Bella reached her own hand into the suds and mingled it with his, intertwining their fingers in the warm water. Edward stood still, watching their hands move together, waiting to see if she was going to say something. Finally she looked up at him and just smiled. His breath caught in his throat. Her eyes were swollen and her nose was slightly red, but she was absolutely beautiful as she gazed at him with warmth and affection. His heart began to beat faster and there was a tightening in his stomach. Her hand was still wrapped around his in the warm water and all he wanted was to wrap his body around hers in the same way.

"Are you guys about finished in here?" Emmettt asked, suddenly coming through the dining room door. "We were thinking of watching a movie."

Bella quickly let go of Edward's hand and reached for a towel as she turned. "Almost," she answered Emmettt casually. "Go ahead. We'll be out in a minute."

"You OK, Bells?" Emmettt asked cautiously, tilting his head to the side as he looked at her.

Bella smiled at him, "Yeah, I'm good, Em. Thanks."

Emmettt glanced quickly at Edward leaning against the sink and then back at Bella. He had a look on his face that she couldn't quite understand.

"That's good," he told her and started to back out of the room.

"Hey, don't let Alice pick the movie!" Edward suddenly called after him. "Last time she made us watch _The Bridges of Madison County._"

"Sure thing, Bro! I'll make sure it's something where the bridge blows up, at least!" Emmettt yelled as the door swung shut,

Bella laughed and Edward looked at her in surprise.

"What?" she asked.

"That's a beautiful sound," he smiled brightly. When Bella looked confused he pulled her against him and kissed the top of her head. "Your laugh," he explained. "I love hearing you sound happy."

Bella wrapped her arms around his waist. "You make me happy," she whispered into his shirt. She would have liked to stay like that for awhile, but she knew someone could walk back in at any time. "Go on," she told Edward as she pushed him away gently. "I'll finish up. Go help Emmettt pick out someone appropriately manly to watch."

Knowing he wasn't going to be able to keep his hands off her if he stayed in the kitchen, Edward decided he should do as she requested. When he was gone Bella put the remaining pots into the sink to soak and wiped down all the counters. When she had finished she went into the living room and found everyone settled in watching the opening credits to _Live Free or Die Hard._ Well, you can't get much manlier than Bruce Willis, she thought with a grin.

"There you are," Alice called out to Bella. "Can you turn the lights out before you sit down?" She was sharing a chair with Jasper, basically sitting in his lap. Rosalie was reclining against Emmettt on the couch and Edward was sitting as far away from them as he could get on the other end.

Bella turned the lights out and made her way in front of the couch to sit on the floor. She leaned her back against the seat cushion comfortably, trying to appear casual while wondering how close to Edward she could scoot without being obvious. She wished she could simply lay her had against his thigh, but that would probably be noticed even in the dark.

After awhile she found herself more or less engrossed in the movie and ignoring the amorous couples around her. She barely noticed when Edward shifted slightly in the seat above her, but then she felt his finger moving ever so slightly against the skin on the back of her neck. Just that slight touch was enough to send shivers down her spine and she forgot all about Bruce Willis and the plot to cripple the United States that he was trying to foil. Edward's hand didn't even move, just his single finger circled around her sensitive skin, occasionally grazing it with the tip of his nail. That was all the contact she needed, though. It made her feel connected to him and completely aware of his nearness. In some ways this secret touch seemed more intimate than the open cuddling of the other couples in the room.

Edward knew he was taking a risk, but he simply could not sit so close to Bella without touching her in some way. Hell, he couldn't even remember what movie they were watching. He was too wrapped up in watching Bella in the dim light. Damn, the things this girl did to him! The skin on the back of her neck was so soft as he stroked it slowly. He dipped the tip of his finger under the collar of her shirt to feel her warm back. Moving with exaggerated slowness he traced the top of her shoulder blade and felt her shiver in reaction. He thought he saw Emmettt glanced over at them just then and he froze his movements, but Emmettt appeared to be too interested in Rosalie to notice anything else.

The few times Edward did tune into the move it made him angry. Good old John McClane sure didn't side with the prick that was being forceful with his daughter or tell her she was over-reacting when he tried to grope her. Why the fuck was Charlie being such a dick? McClane taught his daughter to stand up and fight back. He was ready to kick some ass for her, not talk nice and apologize! He always pegged Charlie for the overprotective type. And, damn it, Bella deserved to be protected!

When the movie ended, Bella excused herself quickly to go to bed, claiming she was extra tired and wanting to give Alice some time to say goodbye to Jasper without an audience. Changing into a button-down sleep shirt and cotton shorts, Bella made sure she was under the covers and appearing to be asleep before Alice found her way back upstairs. She felt a little guilty for not being there for her best friend's rehashing of the evening's events, but she just didn't have it in her tonight to give Alice the enthusiasm she would want. She was grateful, and a little surprised, when Alice got ready for bed quietly and turned out the light without attempting to wake her up. It wasn't until she heard the soft beeps of Alice's phone that she realized her best friend was eagerly texting her boyfriend in the dark and, therefore, hadn't wanted to waste time talking. It was a long time before the beeps finally stopped and she heard Alice's breathing even out in a deep sleep.

That was what Bella had been waiting for.

Sitting up quietly she watched Alice for several minutes to make sure she was truly asleep. Then she slowly eased out from under the covers and crept barefoot across the floor and out the door. Tip-toeing through the still hallway Bella reach Edward's room and decided not to knock before quickly opening the door to slip inside.

It was dark in the room except for the faint glow coming from the window. Bella could just make out the shape of the bed as she crept quickly towards it. She saw Edward lying on his side. She couldn't see his face but she knew he was awake and as soon as she got close he held back the covers for her. Bella eagerly slipped into the bed beside him and snuggled into his warmth as he wrapped them both up. His chest was bare and she pressed the side of her face into it, feeling her whole body relax. This is what she had wanted. What she needed.… She signed contently. This was heaven.

Edward pulled her closer, curling his body around hers the way he'd been wanting to all night. He could feel Bella smiling against his skin as she tangled her bare legs with his and snaked one arm around his waist. It had been fucking torture all evening, not being able to hold her like this, but it had been worth the wait. He had known she'd find a way into his room tonight and he would have stayed awake till dawn waiting for her if it had taken that long.

"Feeling better, sweetheart?" he asked, kissing the top of her head.

"This feels better," she replied, squirming to get closer to him. She paused for a moment. "Until I think about losing this… not getting to be with you."

"Won't happen."

"Edward?" she asked suddenly, rolling onto her back. "Am I a tease?"

"What?!" he exclaimed, turning his body to look down at her face. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I mean it. I know you'll tell me the truth and I want to hear it. I'm a tease?"

"Is this coming from your dad, Bella, because…."

"I'm serious. I mean, yeah, of course this is about what my dad said. But I want to know. I'm trying to understand. You know me, Edward. You've known me all our lives and, well, up until a few days ago you probably took more shit from me than anyone." She actually smiled a little when she said that.

"Can't argue with that," Edward teased.

"This is the thing, Edward. I've kind of adored you and hated you at the same time for… Well, forever, I guess."

Edward shrugged in agreement. That actually made a weird kind of sense.

"That had to send a lot of mixed messages," Bella went on. "And, if I sent you mixed messages for all of those years, maybe I wasn't just sending them to you."

Edward suddenly had a sick feeling that he knew where this was leading. "Whoa… wait… stop right there. You had better not be fucking talking about Jacob right now."

"What if I do give mixed signals? What if I am a tease? What if… what if… I did lead him on, Edward?"

"What if you DID?!" Edward yelled back, shocking them both with the volume of his voice. He cursed under his breath and looked towards the door. It took several steadying breaths before he could look back down at Bella. When he did he saw the pain in her eyes and realized it wasn't because of any reprimand from him, or even her father. Bella was blaming herself. That pissed him off even more. "Damn it, Bella! It was not your fault!"

She shook her head and looked away like she didn't agree with him. He couldn't believe this. That fucker had assaulted her and she felt bad for causing it? That was fucking bullshit!

"Bella, look at me," he commanded softly. When she did he reached out to cup her face with his hand. "You know you aren't the only one who has had conflicting feelings all these years. You know I've been going crazy over you since pre-school." He tried to get her to smile with him, but it wasn't working this time. "I do not believe for one damn minute that you gave any kind of mixed signals to that dickless, mother-fucking, son-of-a-bitch, pick, Jacob."

OK, that got a little smile from her. "What happened to asshole?" she teased.

"Yes, that too, and much more," he nodded. "However, my point is, so what if you did?"

She looked at him confused and even a little hurt.

"You didn't!" he was quick to say again. "But, even if you had, that wouldn't have made what happened your fault."

"That doesn't make sense, Edward."

"Baby, you remember the other night after the party?"

She smirked, "Which part?"

"Well, all of it, but especially up in my room. You and I had been teasing each other downstairs, antagonizing and insulting and all the other shit we have always been good at doing. Basically acting like enemies. Then you come into my room and kiss the hell out of me."

"I was trying to tease you," she joined in. "I wanted to make you crazy and then leave you hanging. But you kissed me back too well and swept me away."

"Talk about your mixed signals, from both of us." He grinned at her mischievously, "Right?"

"What's your point?"

"Ok, imagine what would have happened if, after I had you on my desk with my hands all over you, you had suddenly said 'Stop!' What do you think I would have done?"

Bella didn't hesitate. "You would have stopped."

"But weren't you leading me on? Giving me mixed signals? You said your plan was to get me worked up and then walk away? So, what makes you think I would have let you? Do you really think I would have stopped if you had told me to?"

"Yes!" she insisted, "Of course, Edward! I know you would have stopped. You'd never force me to…" Bella's voice trailed off as understanding dawned.

"You are right, baby. I never would." He kissed her forehead, "And I'm so glad you know that."

"Jacob sure as hell wouldn't have stopped in that situation," she voiced allowed.

"I'm afraid you're probably right. And that is only part of what makes him a bastard… that's another one I forgot to mention before. He's a bastard too." At least she smiled a little at that. "No matter what the situation is, Bella, there is never an excuse for not stopping when someone says to stop. So, if you know that I would have stopped even in the middle of the hottest kiss of my life, then you know that Jacob has no excuse for not stopping last night. No matter what you did or didn't do, it was not your fault!"

"Did I overreact?" she asked, still trying to work through everything her dad had said.

Edward wanted to kick Charlie's ass for putting these doubts in her head. Instead he kept his voice calm and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"Were you scared, Bella?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Was he hurting you?"

This time she looked down, but she nodded again.

Edward took a deep breath before asking, "Was he going to stop, Baby?"

Bella closed her eyes and shook her head. "No," she whispered. "He told me he knew I would like it."

Jacob was a dead man!

Edward was glad Bella's eyes were still shut so she couldn't see the look of fury in his. He had actually said that to her? No fucking way a broken nose was enough. This shit was NOT over. He was not going to do that to Bella and get away with it.

Bella felt Edward's body tense and she looked up to see the rage in his face. Oh wow! He looked almost… dangerous. But rather than upsetting Bella, it actually comforted her. Seeing Edward's reaction she realized he was right to feel as he did.

"I didn't overreact," she finally confessed. "It was that bad. He hurt me. And it wasn't my fault." Bella meant what she said, but she also knew that hearing her say it would calm Edward down some.

It worked.

Edward relaxed his shoulders and leaned down to kiss her. She kissed him back softly, just brushing their mouths against each other's skin several times. After a few moments of quiet, Bella spoke again.

"Edward, I don't want to see Jacob at all. Not for awhile, anyway." She shuttered a little. "I just can't stand the idea of him… looking at me again."

Edward pulled her against him. "Then you won't," he promised.

"But my dad will expect me to. He still wants me to apologize and our families are close friends."

Edward snorted. "I wouldn't call them friends. They could have at least listened to your side too. But, what your dad decides to do, or who he calls friends, doesn't have to be your problem. You are not going to go near Jacob."

"Dad might not give me a choice. I really tried to explain to him, but he didn't … I don't know. He said he _knew_ Jacob was a good kid so that is all there was to it."

"Sweetheart, I'm really getting pissed off at your dad, here. Maybe I should stay away from him because if I don't get another chance to hit Jacob I might be looking for second target."

Bella knew he was joking but she still reacted sternly, sitting up quickly and pushing him onto his back. "Don't you dare start shit with my dad, Edward. He already thinks you're a hot-head that I should stay away from. I need him to understand that you're not and that I _need_ to be with you."

Edward had to grin widely at that, "You _need_ to, huh? Did I hear that right?"

Bella smacked his chest lightly, but couldn't hold back the smile. "Yes, you big egomaniac. I _need_ to be with you." It was true and just saying it made her feel happy. Now she wanted to tease him more. "Do you like to hear that?" she purred as she swung her leg over to straddle his waist.

Edward groaned.

"I only feel right when I'm with you," Bella continued to talk softly to him while slowly running her hands down his chest. She'd had to rush through this part the other night, but this time she could really appreciate his every inch of his toned muscles. "When I'm not with you, I think about you," she tormented him with her husky voice. His skin felt warm and Bella leaned forward to skim her nose along his pecks. When she reached his nipple she licked it lightly.

"Bella!" Edward groaned. "Oh, oh, Bella…"

She moved her hands down to his stomach and braced herself against them as she leaned in to kiss his mouth. Edward's hands grabbed her hips as she kissed him and he slid her down his body to push against his pelvis. Bella got the idea and sat back to rock against him a few more times, but then she stopped.

"You're killing me, Baby," Edward said, looking up at her.

"You'll die happy," she smirked.

Edward started to laugh, but it abruptly stopped when he saw Bella's hands on the top button of her sleep shirt.

"I promise," she whispered seductively and he stopped breathing all together as she slowly undid the first button, then the second and the third, exposing the curves of her pale breasts…

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**I know it was just getting good but, don't worry, I plan to update VERY soon.**

**Your reviews are always helpful!**

**~Alexanya**


	6. Didn't See That Coming

**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to ****spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

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**_As promised, I updated much faster this time and I will try to do so again soon!_**

Enemy Mine

Chapter Six: "Didn't See That Coming"

"I promise," she whispered seductively and he stopped breathing all together as she slowly undid the first button, then the second and the third, exposing the curves of her pale breasts.

Edward didn't move as he stared at her. He was pretty sure he couldn't have moved if the house had been on fire. Bella's breathing had picked up and her chest rose and fell gently as her fingers toyed with the fourth button. She licked her lips and, whether it was on purpose or from nerves, it looked sexy as hell. She finally undid the fourth button, revealing the bottom swell of each breast, and paused. Edward lifted his hand and slowly dragged his fingers down the path of exposed flesh. She was so warm and smooth that it was hard to remember he was really touching her and this wasn't a dream. It was better than a dream. When he stroked the skin between her breasts Bella's breath caught in her throat and she whimpered slightly. That sound alone made him even harder than he was.

Bella bit her lip and tried to concentrate on her breathing. No one had ever touched her like this before and his gentle caress was driving her crazy. She stared down into his eyes and watched him looking at her. The expression on his face made her feel exquisite, like she was a precious gift. She wanted to give him more.

When Edward pulled his hand back, Bella undid the last two buttons. She let the shirt fall open naturally and heard Edward's breathing increase. Smiling at him, she pulled the sides apart wide and arched her back slightly.

Edward was pretty sure he'd died right about then. She was so damn beautiful! He wanted to tell her so, but he couldn't remember how to speak. He was almost afraid to move but he wanted to touch her. He wanted his touch to make her feel what she made him feel with just a look.

His lifted his hands and gently skimmed both of her breasts. The nipples were already tight and Bella leaned into him eagerly. He teased the smooth skin with his fingers, outlining their shape. Then he cupped the underside of each one and rubbed his thumbs over her nipples. Bella sighed, dropping her head back, and that was the end of Edward's resistance.

"You're fucking perfect!" he choked out as he sat up and crushed his mouth to hers. His arms went around her back, under her shirt, and he pressed their bare chests together.

Both of them moaned and Bella threw her arms around his neck. She parted her lips and Edward immediately plunged his tongue inside her mouth. Bella rubbed her tongue against his and their opened mouths kissed greedily.

Their moaning continued as Edward pulled Bella down with him on the bed. She loomed over him, laying her upper body on top of him and rubbing their bare skin together. Edward flipped them so that she was lying beneath him and began kissing her neck. She ran her hands up and down his back as his mouth moved lower on her chest.

"So perfect," Edward murmured into her skin. "So sweet and soft." He kissed the valley between her breasts and moaned her name. He nuzzled the underside of her breast while planting light kisses all over her skin.

Bella felt herself throbbing and squirmed to get more of his touch. "Edward… Edward…" she whispered over and over.

Edward continued kissing her breast until he reached her nipple. He licked it and felt her jerk against him. Growing bolder, he put his whole mouth over it and gently sucked.

"Ah!" Bella gasped out loud and her hands immediately gripped the back of Edward's head.

Edward pulled his mouth off and licked her nipple again a couple of times before brining it back into his mouth fully. Bella was ever so slightly bucking her hips now and Edward crawled back up to her mouth to kiss her again. They pulled each other closer, rolling to the side and rubbing the whole length of their bodies together.

They kissed and teased each other's mouths, gasping for air between moans. Edward reached down and pulled Bella's bare leg around his hip and they both appreciated the friction this created. Fucking hell, they couldn't get enough of each other.

"What the hell? You guys are like fucking rabbits, or something. It's the middle of the night for shit sake!"

Edward and Bella both gasped when they heard Emmett's voice from the doorway. Edward's first thought was to cover Bella up, but she was pressed so tightly against him that her exposed chest was already hidden. He tucked her shocked face into his neck and glared over her head at his brother.

Emmett stood with his face turned towards the closed door; one hand on the knob and the other shielding his eyes.

"I don't want to see and I don't want to know," he told them.

"Emmett…" Edward began.

"Let me guess. You were helping her check for lose fillings, right?" he said sarcastically. "Or maybe she wasn't breathing and that was CPR? Except that I could hear her breathing from the hallway… but, whatever!"

"Emmett!" Edward tried again.

"I don't want to know, Bro. I see nothing and I know nothing. But I'd also like to _hear_ nothing. So, unless you guys want to try the 'checking for lose fillings' story on Alice or the parental, I suggest you keep it the fuck down."

"Shit," Edward cursed himself for being so careless, but then he felt Bella quivering against him. Damn it! Was she so upset about being caught that she was crying again? He peeked down at her face in concern and saw her biting her lip, her eyes bright.

She was laughing.

Edward breathed a huge sigh of relief and smiled with her before looking back at his brother. "You aren't going to say anything to anyone, are you?"

"About what?" Emmett asked innocently, still shielding his face. "I don't know shit."

"Thanks, Emmett," Bella whispered sweetly.

"Is that you, Bella? I didn't realize you were in here." Emmett teased.

Bella giggled and Edward threw a pillow at Emmett's back. "Get out of here, you asshole," he told his brother.

"I was never in here, Bro," Emmett laughed quietly as he left.

When the door was shut Bella rolled away from Edward and lay on her back looking up at him. "I thought you said Emmett believed your story about last night."

"He did this morning, or at least he was trying to believe it. I guess he was a little too observant today."

"Someone didn't do a good job of keeping their hands to themselves," Bella teased as she walked her fingers up his bare chest.

"Looks who's talking?" Edward grinned down at her playfully, but his smile faded as he took in her opened shirt with one, pink nipple exposed.

Bella watched his eyes darken as he stared at her. Reaching for his hand, she brought it up to her bare breast and held his palm over it.

"Shhh.." she warned him softly when he started to groan. "You have to be quiet."

"That might not be possible," Edward whispered to her and started to move his hand in slow circles causing Bella to whimper. "See what I mean?"

Bella pouted. "Yes," she sighed. "I suppose this isn't the best idea."

Edward leaned down to kiss her neck, "Oh, it is the very best idea ever!"

"Just maybe not right now," Bella conceded, putting her arms around his neck.

Edward fell forward onto his stomach, his face cradled against her shoulder. "Well, that just sucks," he determined.

"Yeah, it does," she agreed.

"You can at least stay in here until morning."

"Mmm… I'd love to. But…"

"But what?" Edward whined like a little boy making Bella chuckle and kiss his head.

"But, we could fall asleep like last night and get caught again. It's not a good idea."

"I'll stay awake," Edward pleaded, kissing her neck again. "Stay for awhile, at least, OK? Don't go yet."

"I don't want to go at all, Edward."

Edward groaned and kissed her mouth. She dug her fingers into his hair and kissed him back. They tried to keep it tame, they really did, but in no time at all they were both moaning again.

Edward growled in frustration and collapsed against her, "Fuck! You're right. This isn't a good idea right now."

"For what it's worth, I wish we could be alone together," Bella said, stroking his shoulders. "I mean, _really_ alone."

"So do I, Baby. More than you can know."

They lay quietly for several minutes, Bella running her fingers through his soft hair while Edward breathed in the scent of her neck. She had never felt this close to anyone, never had this need to be as close as possible to another person. She wondered if Edward was feeling the same way and if this was as new to him as it was to her.

Edward's breathing was evening out and Bella felt her eyes wanting to close. With a resigned sigh she started to slip her body out from beneath his.

"No," she heard him groan as he tightened his arms on her waist.

"Come on, Edward. I don't like it either," she chided him. "But the last thing we need is for my father to find out we were in bed together."

Edward grumbled some more, but rolled away from her onto his back. He watched as Bella sat up and started to fasten the buttons on her shirt.

"Don't get any ideas," she laughed softly when she noticed where his eyes were fixated. "You behave."

"Too late. I already have plenty of ideas and none of them involve behaving."

Bella winked at him for saying that and, damn, that shit was hot!

When Bella had her clothes straitened she swung her legs over the side of the bed and looked back at Edward. She was frowning now and he propped himself up on his elbow to face her.

"Are you going to be OK tonight?" he asked seriously. "No more bad dreams?"

Bella shrugged. She couldn't promise that, but she tried to sound hopeful. "You've given me plenty of material for very good dreams."

Edward sat up and pulled her into a hug. She rested her head on his shoulder and hugged him back. They didn't say anything more after releasing each other. Edward knew if he followed her to the door he would just kiss her and that would bring them right back to the bed and it will all begin again. Not that he hated that thought, but he was going to _try_ to behave for her.

He watched her walk to the door in the dark, the pale skin of her ass peeking out from her sleep shorts. She turned her head just before closing the door and blew him a kiss. Edward groaned as he listened to her feet shuffle down the hall before he flopped back down on his back. There was no fucking way he was going to sleep now. He'd never been more uncomfortable in his life. Would a cold shower in the middle of the night be too obvious to the rest of the house? After a few moments he decided a snack would draw less attention. Dragging himself out of bed he wondered if he could find a beer in the fridge. Surely his folks wouldn't miss just one and he needed something to calm himself down after Bella's visit.

He shouldn't have been surprised to find Emmett in the kitchen when he walked in, but he was surprised when Emmett handed him an open can of beer still cold from the fridge.

"What are you? A fucking mind-reader?" Edward asked as he took the beer and sat down across the table from his brother.

"Something like that," Emmett said nonchalantly as he watched Edward take two big chugs from the can. "Feel better?"

"Give me a minute… or maybe ten." Edward ran his hand through his hair and slouched against the back of the chair, still trying to calm his body down. "So, if you aren't a fucking mind-reader, what are you doing down here?" he asked, taking another long swallow.

"I don't have to be a fucking mind-reader. I'm your fucking, big brother," Emmett replied. "At least I have been for the last ten years. Shit, Edward, I know you better than you think."

"Meaning what?"

"To start with, meaning that I knew you'd be headed down here as soon as…" Emmet paused to choose his words. "As soon as you needed to unwind." He smirked, pleased with his explanation. Dropping his smile, he added, "Then again, maybe I don't know you as well as I think I do."

"Again, meaning what?"

"Just saying, Bro," Emmett shook his head. "Oh, fuck, I'm just saying nothing, I guess. Shit, I know nothing, right? 'See no evil, speak no evil,' or whatever."

"Evil? What the hell are you calling evil?"

"Just a damn expression, Dude. Take it down a notch."

"What the fuck are we even taking about, Emmett?"

"Nothing, Edward. We are talking about nothing. Because I saw nothing and I know nothing."

Edward growled and slammed the can down on the table. "Damn it, Em! Would you knock this shit off? Do you want to talk to me or not?"

Emmett sighed and actually looked a little lost. "Just … what the hell, Bro? I mean… I mean…. What the hell?"

"Is this you talking to me? Because I'm not really following?"

"Cut the crap. You know damn well what I'm trying to talk about."

"Yeah, OK. So, what's the problem? You seemed relatively unscarred upstairs a few minutes ago?"

"What was I supposed to do? Freak out in front of… her?"

Edward thought about that and relaxed a bit. "No, you're right. Thanks for acting so cool about it. She has enough shit to deal with right now."

Emmett's raised his head at that and looked at him in confusion. "Now it's my turn to ask, 'meaning what?"

"Forget it," Edward told him. "I'm just glad you didn't upset her, that's all."

"OK, see? Shit like that is what I'm talking about!" Emmett snapped.

"What?"

"_You _thanking _me_ for not upsetting…" he lowered his voice to a whisper, "Bella."

Edward shook his head and let out a long breath. "What do you want me to say, Emmett?"

"I want you to help me understand what the hell is going on." Emmett replied. "I mean, the only reason I bought your lame-ass excuse this morning is because, as fucked up as it sounded, it was still more believable than the alternative. Come on! You and Bella?"

Edward just sat there silently.

"Spring Break flings are tricky, Edward," Emmett warned him. "Especially with people you still have to see every day when the holiday is over."

Edward tried not to be offended. "Is that what you think this is?"

"It makes sense, to some extent. Shit happens." Emmett shook his head in frustration, "Still… I don't know. You guys have a lot of history and I saw the way you acted around each other today. Fuck! You're my brother and I think of her as a sister and every time I saw you guys touch each other I felt like I needed a shower!"

Emmett shuttered and Edward laughed.

"I'm serious, Bro! Do you even realize how many times you touched her today?" Emmett asked. "I do, because I was paying attention. Hell, you couldn't even stop touching her during the movie and we were all right there in the room!"

"So, what is it you're worried about, Emmett? That this is just a Spring Break fling, or that is isn't?"

Emmett looked like he didn't know which to answer. Finally he said, "I'm just worried about whether _you_ know what it is. And whether you and she are on the same page about it."

"You think I'd hurt Bella?" Edward asked incredulously. Now, he _was_ offended. "I'd never hurt Bella!"

"Dude, come on," Emmett raised one eye-brow accusingly. "How can you say that with a strait face?"

"What?" Edward said a little too loudly. "I'm serious!

"You've tormented each other for years. You live to make her miserable."

Edward shook his head. "All that shit before? That isn't the same. I'd never really hurt her. And, besides, that's all in the past."

"The past? You called her a shrew yesterday!"

Edward smirked, "Yeah, but she knew I didn't mean it. That was just to keep up appearances; to keep you guys off base."

"You mean you were faking?"

Edward nodded without remorse.

"Fuck, Bro! How long has this being going on between you two."

That was a good question.

"Does it matter?" Edward finally ask. In all honesty, he wasn't really sure how to answer. He and Bella had first kissed only a couple of nights ago, but they both realized there had been something between them for much longer than that. He didn't even feel like this was a new thing with her. It was like he'd always felt this way deep down. Was it like that for her too?

"If it doesn't matter, Edward, then why all the secrecy?" Emmett pushed.

"Hell, you were the one that pointed out Bella wouldn't be spending Spring Break here if our parents even suspected something was going on," Edward told him. "Not to mention the way everyone would be freaking out, just like you are, Emmett. She doesn't need that shit right now."

"That's the second time you said that, Dude," Emmett told him suspiciously. "Why are so worried about Bella dealing with more shit? What the hell is going on with her?"

Edward didn't want to lie to Emmett, but he wasn't about to discuss Bella's private situation with him either. "Forget it," he told him.

"So there _is_ something to forget?" Emmett asked in concern. "Wait, does this have anything to do with whatever she was crying about tonight? Is she OK?"

"Just, do me a favor, this week." he replied carefully. "Watch out for her when I'm not around, OK? I mean, if she seems upset or something and I'm not there, let me know or stay with her until I get back. Not that I plan to be away from her if I can help it, but it's not always easy when we are still pretending to hate each other."

Edward laughed a little at that, but Emmett was now very serious.

"Edward, what is going on? Is Bella in trouble?"

"Bella's going to be fine, Em. I'm not going to let anything happen to her."

Emmett's eyes narrowed and he stared at his younger brother a long time. Finally he nodded, not breaking his stare. "OK," he said, seeming to be convinced now of several things.

"Thanks."

Emmett nodded. "Forget it," he said as if it was no big deal. "Just…you know… I've got your back if you need it."

"I'm counting on that."

Emmett narrowed his eyes again and Edward cut him off before he could ask more questions.

"I'm going to bed," he announced gulping the last of the beer and handing the can back to Emmett. "Hide that, will you?"

"I should let you get busted for drinking one of dad's Rainers," Emmett fell back into his teasing brother role.

"Hey, you're the one who gave it to me."

"Yeah, but I only did that to keep you away from Bella tonight," Emmett laughed. "She hates the taste of beer."

"You asshole!" Edward smacked his brother in the shoulder and started back upstairs.

He paused outside of Alice's door and debated with himself on whether he should peek in at Bella. He didn't hear any sounds coming from the room, though, so he decided not to risk waking her. If she got scared or upset, she knew where to find him. He doubted he'd sleep at all tonight.

On the other side of the door, Bella lay awake listening to the sound of footsteps in the hall. Considering how long the person had stood outside of Alice's bedroom, she knew it had to be Edward. She had held her breath wondering if he was going to open the door, but he didn't. Listening to him walk back to his room Bella tried to squash her disappointment by reminding herself why it was the right thing for him to do. They'd taken enough risks for one day. Still, she would have liked to see his face for just a second and have the chance to smile at him. Damn, she was becoming as pathetic as Alice!

Rolling onto her back, Bella pushed the covers off in irritation. He body still felt over-heated and she wasn't going to be able to sleep well at all. Her arms flopped over her head and she stifled a moan as her mind replayed the memory of Edward running his hands over her skin. She was already trying to figure out how to get some alone time with him tomorrow. She knew they needed to be more careful but where did that leave them? Only sneaking a few moments in the middle of the night? Fuck that! But, what choice did they have? Alice would flip out if she caught them together. Not to mention the shit that would hit the fan if their parents knew. At least Emmett seemed to be OK with their relationship.

_Relationship?_

What the hell? Is that what this was? Were she and Edward in a relationship now?

Well, how the FUCK did that happen???

Bella's shock soon turned to soft giggles. Oh, wow! How did she not see that happening? Holy shit, they were in a relationship!

Hmmm… she wondered if Edward had figured this out yet.

Knowing that he was still awake, Bella reached for her cell to send him a text. Oh, shit, she _was _turning into Alice! Maybe she would just tell him goodnight. Then again, maybe she should text something suggestive about how she was thinking of him. She flipped her phone open and realized she had missed a text from earlier that night. All thoughts of what she might type to Edward died when she saw the sender's phone number.

The text was from Jacob.

**

* * *

**

**_You aren't getting bored with the story, are you? I'd love to know what you are liking, and what you are not liking, so far. I want to try to update even faster next time. And, thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Thank you so much!!!_**

_**~Alexanya**_


	7. Not Overreacting!

**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to **

**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

* * *

Enemy Mine

Chapter Seven: "Not Overreacting!"

The text was from Jacob.

Jacob had tried to contact her? What could he possible want to say to her? Why was he still thinking about her?

Memories from last night flashed through her mind; sensations and emotions colliding together. Jacob's rough hands… His sloppy mouth… the sound of his voice as he enjoyed what he was doing…

Bella felt sick.

She didn't want to see him or talk to him. She didn't want to know what message he had sent her. Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

Deleting the text was an option. She could just ignore him. But, somehow, not knowing what Jacob was up to was scarier than knowing. He was probably trying to apologize, but she wouldn't believe it. It would just words to him. Taking a deep breath, she opened her inbox before she lost her nerve, and read Jacob's text.

_IM NOT MAD ABOUT LAST NIGHT – STILL FRIENDS, OK? JAKE_

She couldn't believe what she was seeing. He was forgiving _her_? He thought they were still friends? He was acting like he hadn't done anything wrong and she had? That bastard! How dare he!

Bella squeezed the phone until her hand hurt.

Did he actually think what he had done was no big deal? That it was just a game or some misunderstanding?

That was what her dad had said.

_I'm sure it was a misunderstanding, Bella. You are the one who made the big deal out of it, and Jacob got hurt in the process._

She'd been so wounded by those words she hadn't been able to do anything but cry.

And, now that Jacob was getting a free pass, he obviously thought he had nothing to be sorry for. That wasn't right! Bella felt hot tears in her eyes. She'd never wanted his attention but he'd tried to force himself on her anyway! Didn't it matter that he had hurt her? Didn't anyone care about that? Apparently Jacob could do whatever he wanted and everyone thought _she_ was the problem.

No, not everyone. Edward didn't think that.

Bella choked back a sob before she woke Alice and wiped her eyes.

Edward had told her it wasn't her fault. He understood, and not just because he'd witnessed Jacob's actions. He was furious for what Jake had done to her and he was still probably planning to kick his ass again. Jacob was big, bigger than Edward, but she knew Edward wouldn't let him near her. She just had to remember that and not freak out. She couldn't let Jake get to her, no matter what he tried to do. She knew Edward was going to be there for her even if no one else was. Even if her father didn't like it.

Damn it, she wanted Edward right then!

Bella started to cry softly. Why was this happening? Why was everything so hard? All she wanted was for Jacob to leave her alone and for Edward to hold her through this long night. Was that too much to ask?

"Bella? What's wrong?" Alice's voice sounded soft and sleepy in the dark. "Are you crying?"

Bella tried to hold her breath so Alice would think she was sleeping, but her emotions wouldn't cooperate and she couldn't choke back the sobs.

"Bella?" Alice called again in concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Bella replied quietly, rolling away from her friend. "I'm sorry I woke you, Alice. I just had a bad dream. It's silly, I'm fine."

Alice sat up in bed. "Bella, you've been sleeping over here for years and you've never had bad dreams. At least not bad enough to make you cry."

"Maybe you just slept through it before," Bella tried to laugh, but it sounded horrible.

"Not buying it," Alice said a little impatiently. "I know when something is wrong with my best friend, so just tell me already."

Bella felt comforted by Alice's concern, until she heard her next remark.

"Is this about Jasper?" Alice asked.

"What?" Bella couldn't believe she had heard her right.

"Jasper?" Alice said again. "Is it hard on you because… well, are you jealous?"

"You want to know if I'm crying because I'm jealous of your boyfriend?"

"Not jealous as in you want him yourself," Alice went on. "But jealous that I have a boyfriend and you don't? It's got to be hard to see me in this incredible relationship and you, maybe, feeling a bit left out."

Was she fucking serious?

She was hurt, frightened and feeling desperate because something awful had happened to her, but all her best friend could see was her new boyfriend. Couldn't she think about anything else? This was the very last of what Bella could take.

"Try to wrap your small mind around this concept, Alice, but the universe actually does NOT revolve around Jasper!"

"What!?"

"And, while we are on the subject of the universe, Miss Cullen. You might be interested in knowing that YOU are not at its center either!"

"What the hell is your problem, Bella? I'm trying to be sympathetic and you're being a bitch!"

Bella sat up in bed and faced Alice in the dark. "I'm so sick of your one track mind! All you care about is being with Jasper and talking to Jasper or about Jasper…. I'm so sick of you and Jasper! There are other things going on in the world too, you know? Not that you would bother to see that!"

"I was right! You're jealous!" Alice hissed. "Why are you being so mean?"

"Well, apparently, that's what I do, Alice. I'm just mean to everyone. I'm a total bitch who can't let anyone be happy, right?" Bella knew she was angry at more than Alice's insensitivity, but it felt too good to yell at someone and Alice had set her off. "Oh, and I'm probably making a big deal out of nothing, right? I don't know _what_ my problem is!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Alice yelled back, louder now. "Why can't you just be happy for me instead of thinking of yourself?"

"Me? Why can't _you_ think about someone besides yourself?!" Bella shouted back.

"I do!"

"Someone who isn't Jasper? Someone like me?" Bella was crying angrily.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

The door opened before Bella could answer and both girls looked to see Emmett and Edward striding into the room.

"What's wrong with you two?" Emmett snapped. "Do you want to wake the fucking neighborhood?"

Edward's eyes were on Bella and he watched as two big tears rolled down her cheeks. "What the hell happened?" he asked, forcing himself to look away from her and address the question to his sister.

"Nothing," Alice replied bitterly, glaring at Bella. She threw her covers back and stood up.

"Since when do you two fight about nothing?" Emmett asked. "Hell, since when do you two fight at all?"

"Since Bella decided to act like a baby," Alice muttered loud enough to be heard.

"Forget it!" Bella said quickly when she saw Edward's eyes narrow at Alice. The last thing she wanted was to cause problems between the two. "Everything's fine," she told them, scrubbing the tears off of her face with the back of her hands and forcing herself to calm down.

"I'm going to get something to drink," Alice snapped, walking towards the door. "Since I won't be able to sleep now anyway."

Bella swallowed a lump in her throat, "I'm sorry, Alice."

"Whatever! Just sleep somewhere else if you are going to have any more 'bad dreams,' Bella."

"SHUT UP, Alice!" Edward told her fiercely

Alice stopped and looked at her brother in stunned horror. "What the hell is _your_ problem, _Edward?_" she asked in disbelief.

Emmett jumped in before Edward could say more. "Everyone just stop it. It's the middle of the fucking night. Let's just drop this and get some damn sleep."

"Do whatever you want," Alice told them all in frustration as she walked out of the room.

Bella's cheeks were already covered in fresh tears and Edward didn't even wait to hear Alice's footsteps on the stairs before he went to her. Not caring that Emmett was in the room, he sat down on the side of the bed to face her and started to wipe her tears away with his fingers.

"Another bad dream?" he whispered the question, bending closer to see her expression.

Bella just let her head fall forward onto Edward's bare chest. "I shouldn't have yelled at Alice," she mumbled against his skin.

"Don't worry about Alice," Edward told her, cupping the back of her neck in both of his hands and planting a kiss in her hair. "She'll get over it."

"Edward is right," Emmett said, watching the two of them together and suddenly feeling like he should give them some privacy. "I'll go talk to Alice."

"Are you OK?" Edward asked after Emmett had shut the door behind him.

"I'm just being a baby," Bella sniffed. "Alice is right. What is wrong with me?"

"Shh, you are not being a baby."

"Yes, I am." Bella pulled away and scrubbed at her eyes in frustration. "I'm being ridiculous. I need to pull it together."

"You were all right less than an hour ago. Did something happen?" Edward prompted. "Was it another bad dream?"

"No, I haven't even been asleep."

"Then, what?"

Bella opened her palm to reveal the cell phone she still clutched. Edward just looked at her in question.

"I heard you come back upstairs," she started to explain without looking at him. "I wanted to send you a text, just something corny to tell you good night. When I opened my phone, though, I saw I had missed a text message from earlier."

"It was from your father?" Edward assumed sympathetically.

Bella shook her head and looked up at him. "It was from Jacob."

Edward suddenly gripped her upper arms protectively. "Are you fucking kidding me?" he demanded. "Are you OK?"

Instead of answering, Bella flipped open the phone and held the text up for him to read.

Edward gapped at the message. "I swear I'm gonna kill that son-of-a-bitch," he whispered through clenched teeth as he unconsciously stoked up and down Bella's arms.

"Don't!" she told him. "Don't even say things like that. Jacob would probably have you arrested for making threats if he could. I'm still worried he'll decide to press charges against you for hitting him last night."

"You don't need to worry about me, sweetheart."

"But I do! I do worry!" Dropping the phone she grabbed his arms too. "Jacob thinks he can get away with anything and apparently he can. Even my dad is in his corner. I can't help but worry about what he'll try next since… " Bella just shook her head without finishing her thought.

"Since what, baby?" Edward asked.

"Since he obviously isn't done with me."

Edward was back to holding on to her upper arms like he thought something was going to snatch her away. "What the hell does that mean?"

"I just wish he would move on. Forget about me." Bella picked up the phone again and held it up to make her point, "But he obviously isn't planning to leave me alone any time soon. And with my father's blessing, so what am I supposed to do?"

"Bella…"

"I just can't stand the idea that he is thinking about me, Edward," she rushed on, clutching herself around the middle now. "If he is thinking about me then he is probably thinking about what he had planned to do last night if you hadn't stopped him and …."

"Don't, Bella. Don't even go there." Edward pulled her against him and held her tightly.

"I can't help it. In my gut I know what he wanted to do and I know he still wants to do it and I know I should just be glad it didn't happen and it's not like I was really hurt but…" she was crying against his chest again. "I just feel so stupid!"

"Shh, shh, you are not stupid, baby," Edward insisted, rocking her a little roughly. "And I swear I really could kill that bastard!"

"Edward, don't."

"I could, Bella. And I will kill him before I ever let him touch you again!"

Bella wrapped her arms around his waist and held him too, trying to give him as much comfort as he was trying to give her.

"I'm sorry for all of this, Edward. I promise I'll get a grip and stop being so emotional."

"You have nothing to apologize for, sweetheart. _Nothing_."

Bella rubbed her cheek against his chest, feeling the tightness of his muscles against his skin. "I wish you could hold me all night," she told him.

"I've got you now, baby," he assured her, pressing her closer and laying the side of his face against her hair.

Bella didn't know how long they sat like that. She blocked out everything except the feel of Edward against her and the soothing sound of his breathing. For a brief moment she wonder if Alice was coming back but decided she didn't even care if Alice walked in and saw them. She wasn't letting Edward go.

At some point she must have fallen asleep because she opened her eyes to see sun coming through the curtains. She'd been having a dream but this time it hadn't been as scary. All she could remember was that she _had _been running away from something, but then she'd made it inside the Cullen's house where she knew she was safe. Strange that she hadn't been running towards her own house, but dreams rarely make a lot of sense. Reaching her hand up to rub the sleep from her eyes, she realized she had been tucked tightly under the covers. She was more rested than she had been since the party and stretched out her stiff muscles contently. Feeling much lighter now, she turned to look at Alice's bed. It was empty, but there were several items of clothing tossed on top of the messy sheets which told her Alice had come back at some point and left again. Was she still angry? Was she just avoiding her?

Bella turned her head in the other direction to look at the clock. Holy shit, it was almost noon! No wonder Alice had come and gone. Feeling embarrassed for sleeping so late, Bella threw the covers off and got out of bed. She headed for the stairs, assuming everyone else was up and about the house. When she got to the kitchen, though, only Emmett was sitting at the table.

"Hey, Rip Van Winkle!" he called out when she came into the room.

"Huh?" Bella scrunched her face up in confusion.

"Come on. Rip Van Winkle? The nursery rhyme?" Emmett scoffed. "You know - the guy who slept for a hundred years?"

"Give me a break," Bella rolled her eyes. "It's only noon, Mother Goose."

"Who are you calling _mother_?" he flexed his muscles dramatically, making Bella smile.

Opening the refrigerator without enthusiasm she began to wish she _had _told Edward to save her that piece of pie from last night. Now that she was relaxed she was hungry for it… but not as hungry as she was for something else. Make that _someone_ else. "So, where is Ed… everyone?" she stuttered self-consciously without turning around.

Emmett laughed. "He's still asleep upstairs."

Bella could feel herself blushing as she faced him. "Thanks," she whispered.

"It's all good," he told her. "Just don't ever play poker, Bella."

She stuck her tongue out at him, "So, Edward is still in bed but you gave me a hard time for sleeping in?"

"I think he was awake much later," Emmett said a little more gently. "Alice fell asleep on the couch last night. Dad told me he woke her up early and sent her to her own bed."

Neither of them stated the obvious; that Edward had probably stayed awake with Bella until he heard Alice go back upstairs that morning.. She tried to look casual as she glanced around for the rest of the family. It didn't work and Emmett shook his head with a knowing sigh.

"Dad is at the hospital. Mom is at the grocery store. And Alice left with Jasper about twenty minutes ago," he explained with exaggerated patience. "So go on up. I know you want to."

Bella rewarded him with a brilliant smile and didn't hide her hurry as she rushed for the stairs.

"I'll just be down here not knowing anything about anything!" Emmett called after her.

She didn't slow down until she reached the door to Edward's room. It clicked opened softly and Bella slipped inside without a sound. The curtains were closed but there was still plenty of light to see by. Across the room Edward was sleeping deeply on his stomach in the middle of the bed. He was still in only his boxers with the sheet tangled around his calves exposing both his feet and his strong back. His face was turned towards her on the pillow with his mouth relaxed in a little pout that made his lips look perfectly kissable.

Sighing contently at the site of him, Bella began to feel a familiar tingling in her stomach. It was the same feeling she'd always gotten when she looked at Edward, but now it was accompanied by anticipation so acute it almost made her dizzy. He was so gorgeous and she adored him so much and she was actually going to get to touch him right now. Her life may not be perfect, but it didn't get much better than that.

She leaned against the door and began to look around for something to block it. Emmett had said that everyone else was out of the house, and he knew better than to come in unannounced now, but they were developing a bad track record for getting caught and she wanted to avoid more incidences if possible. Since the door didn't have a lock, she had to jam the back of the desk chair under the knob and hope it would slow down anyone who tried to open it. With that done, she couldn't wait any longer and let her feet carry her over to the side of the bed.

Crawling on her hands and knees she stalked across the mattress until she knelt at Edward's side. Her slight weight didn't disturb him and he continued breathing steadily as she reached out her hand to finally touch him. His skin was warm beneath her finger tips as she traced the curves of his shoulder blades. She pressed down slightly with her palm to feel the expanse of his muscles, tight and smooth at the same time. She continued her gentle caressing down his back until she reached the tops of his boxers. Damn, he had a cute little ass! Smirking to herself wickedly, she moved her hand lower and gave it a couple of pats.

"Mmm…" Edward made a soft sound so Bella patted his ass again, feeling his firm muscles tighten under the thin fabric of the boxers.

"Edward…" she cooed in the quietest whisper, her hand trailing even lower until she was touching the back of his bare thigh.

She could feel him shift slightly under her touch, but he was quiet again. She brazenly pushed her fingers between his legs, just above his knees, to lightly rub the skin on the inside. This got more of a reaction as Edward groaned into the pillow.

"Bella…" he mumbled under his breath, still deep in sleep.

"Yes, Edward," she murmured in reply, placing both of her hands on his back and starting the smooth caressing again. She leaned forward until her lips made contact with his skin and she began to place light kisses over every inch she had touched. "Edward?" she asked breathlessly as she continued her affection. "Are you dreaming, Edward?" Her mouth reached the back of his neck and she sucked lightly, earning another groan. "Are you, Edward?" she continued in her soft voice. "Are you dreaming?"

"Mmmm…." Edward began to turn his face towards her, his eyes still closed, blinding seeking her mouth. "Bella," he called out again as he rolled over.

Bella leaned against him more, now that she had access to his chest, and kissed along his jaw. She rubbed her upper body against his and swept her tongue over his lips. "Is this what you are dreaming about, Edward?" She lightly licked his neck and rubbed against him some more. She knew he was waking up slowly and she waited to see if he would give her an answer.

"No," he muttered as his hands came up to encircle her waist.

Bella looked up to see his eyes half opened. "No?" she echoed."

"No," Edward confirmed in his sleepy voice. "In my dream, you weren't wearing so many clothes."

Bella smiled against at him and then sat up quickly. "Well, then," she remarked, grabbing the hem of her sleep shirt and yanking it over her head. "Is this better?" She draped herself over him again at the same time that he reached for her.

"Oh, yes," he groaned almost frantically as he flipped her over. "I'm definitely awake now," he said emphatically as he lay on top of her, kissing her neck and chest.

Bella giggled as he tickled her skin with his mouth. When he reached her breasts and began peppering them kisses the giggles were replaced with a contented sigh. Eventually Edward found his way back to her lips and they kissed slowly, their tongues stroking gently for just a moment before they pulled apart.

"Good morning," Bella spoke first.

"Mmm…" Edward smiled down at her, "A very good morning. You can wake me up like that any morning you want."

"Just if it's morning?" Bella smiled playfully. "Because it is really almost afternoon now," she felt perfectly comfortable and at ease, despite her bold behavior.

"Anytime!" Edward clarified. "Anytime, any place, as long as it is _you." _He kissed her again before pulling back to look into her eyes, staring only at her face as if he'd forgotten her breasts were bare to him just a few inches below. "You are so beautiful," he told her simply, still staring at her face.

Bella felt herself blush. Unbelievable! After all these years, and the resent things they'd shared, he could make her blush with a compliment? But it was more the way he said it than what he said. She felt her blush deepen and tilted her chin away self-consciously.

"Give me a break," she told him, feeling silly. "I haven't even washed my face and I know my eyes are all puffy…"

Edward found her mouth again and cut off any further protests. "You are _beautiful_," he told her again, speaking against her lips now. He could sense her discomfort, though, so he decided to move them back to familiar territory. Maybe she didn't need to be serious right now. Kissing her neck he added, "You always have been… so beautiful… It really used to piss me off."

His tactic worked and Bella started to laugh. "Really? Gee, if I had known I could piss you off that way I would have done it on purpose," she told him.

"I always thought you did!" Edward confessed. "Every fucking year you'd just get prettier and sexier. It was so unfair!"

Bella ran her hands through Edward's hair as he rested his face in the crook of her neck. "Well, how do you think _I_ felt?" she asked. "Ever damn girl in Forks wants you. Hell, every girl in Port Angeles wants you too! And here I am, the one girl who wanted you first… the one who has wanted you the longest… and the one who was the least likely to ever have you."

Edward raised his head to look at her then. "But look who has me now."

The mood suddenly turned serious again. Bella continued to run her fingers through his hair as she studied his face.

"Do I?" she finally asked in a breathy whisper.

Edward could feel his heart start to beat harder and wondered if she could feel it too. "What do you think?" he replied softly, matching the breathiness in her voice.

Bella's heart beat picked up too and their breathing grew shallow. Edward's mouth crashed down on hers at the same moment that Bella arched herself off the pillow and clamped her hands around the back of his neck. The fire between them started to burn again hot and fast…

* * *

**I'm sorry this is a little short, but I was determined to have something posted this weekend. Things are going to be picking up in a very interesting way for our two "no longer enemies" very soon, so I hope you are still enjoying them! **

**~Alexanya**


	8. Stolen Moments

**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to **

**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

* * *

Enemy Mine

Chapter Eight: "Stolen Moments"

Bella's heart beat picked up too and their breathing grew shallow. Edward's mouth crashed down on hers at the same moment that Bella lifted herself off the pillow and clamped her hands around the back of his neck. The fire between them started to burn again hot and fast.

"I think this is where we left off last night," Bella spoke softly when Edward's lips moved to taste her neck.

"Mmm…" he moaned against her skin. "I think you are right."

Moving his hand down the side of her body and over her bare thigh, Edward gripped her leg to raise it up on his hip. She could feel him, hard and pressing against her now, and her breath drew in sharply as her hips rotated to get more of the sensation.

Edward reacted both to her movement and the sounds she was making. He kissed her again, keeping his mouth firmly fix on hers as she ground their bodies closer together. Bella was whimpering against his lips and fisting her hands more tightly in his hair to make it clear she didn't want him to pull away. She took it upon herself to place her other leg around his hip, opening her thighs even wider to him. Her bare feet stroked along the back of Edward's knees as they rocked against each other mindlessly. Both of them were moaning now and they pressed their tongues together to mimic the movement of their bodies. Edward could feel himself coming undone by the feel of her, the taste of her. He had to get closer.

Bella moaned again and again, her sounds becoming higher in pitch as she became more passionate. Her mouth was opened impossibly wide under his and it felt like they were trying to devour each other. Their hearts pounded so rapidly that it became impossible to catch their breath. Edward moved his lips away from her face just enough to gasp some air, but Bella responded by pressing herself even closer to him and gripping his shoulders with both of her hands. He, in turn, gripped the top of her thigh and pulled it more tightly around his hip.

The sudden gasp of pain that Bella cried out shocked both of them. Edward instantly froze as he realized he'd squeezed the tender flesh of Bella's deep bruise. His breath came out in a rush as he slowly released her and pulled back to look into her face.

"I'm sorry, baby," he told her, still out of breath. His chest rose and fell and his pulse continued to race, but he rolled to the side so he could inspect her leg. In the daylight he could see it had grown even darker since the previous afternoon. "I'm so sorry, baby," he repeated as he touched it gingerly.

Bella reached up to stroke his jaw, still fighting to control her own breathing. The pain from the bruise had surprised her. She'd been so caught up in their passion that she had forgotten it was even there and she didn't want to think about now. It didn't matter to her. It wasn't important. Edward was what was important.

He was still looking at her bruise in concern. "Does it hurt?" he asked tenderly.

Bella tilted his chin up with her fingers so he was looking into her flushed face. She traced his bottom lip with her thumb and watched as his eyes darkened again. "Kiss it and make it better," she told him, her voice laced with desire.

Edward's arms nearly gave out at her command. He was still breathing, but he forgot how to swallow. He would never get used to what she could do to him.

He moved down her body slowly, trailing his lips along her collar bone and to the valley between her breasts. He could feel her chest rising and falling against his lips as she gasped and panted at the sensations. When his mouth reached her stomach he kissed it softly, letting his lips linger just below her navel.

Bella fought to keep her body still but she felt like she could burst out of her skin at any moment. She sensed the moisture building between her legs like it never had before and as Edward moved his mouth to her hip she knew her panties would soon be wet. When he reached her bruise, Edward raised his head enough to focus on it. He paused for just a moment before his lips brushed the soft skin of Bella's inner thigh. He kissed it repeatedly while listening to her passionate whimpers in response. His entire body felt like a powder keg aching to explode. He could feel the heat radiating form her and he tentatively moved his mouth higher to get closer to its source.

"Oh… Oh…" Bella panted, anticipating his movements.

Reaching the top of her thigh, he brushed his mouth very lightly across the font of her flimsy shots. They were damp and he could taste her slightly on his lips.

Bella sucked in a sharp breath at the feel of being touched there. "Edward!... Oh, my... Oh!.... Edward!"

Her cries were full of both confusion and wonder as he continued to stroke her with the lightest kisses. Needing just a little more of her, Edward pushed his tongue forward to press against the wet cloth.

Fuck, she was so sweet!

He pulled his body back up quickly to crush his lips to her mouth once more. Their tongues met and stroked and she got a slight taste of herself from him. Rather than feeling strange, it felt intimate to share that between them and Bella licked her tongue around his lips.

Her body was still on fire and burned for more of his touch. She pressed against him as hard as she could and clutched at his tight ass, but she couldn't get enough of the sensation she needed. Her sounds of desire were turning into frustrated whimpers and she strained to get whatever it was she so desperately craved.

Still kissing her mouth, Edward ran his hand down her squirming body until his fingers moved inside her waist band and found her damp panties. Bella's body stilled at the feel of his touch and she pressed her pelvis up against his hand. Edward began to slowly rub her, feeling the material grow wetter with each stroke. He broke their kiss and rested his head on the pillow beside hers where he could see her face.

Bella closed her eyes rolled her head from side to side. She couldn't help the movement any more than she could stop the strange, mewing sounds coming from her throat as the sensations flowed through her.

Edward's finger suddenly pressed deeper and he was rubbing the cloth between her outer lips. The damp fabric dragged along her clit and Bella arched off the bed with a little cry. She was so wet now and she was rhythmically rocking her hips into his touch. Dragging his fingers up to the top of her panties, Edward slowly slid his hand beneath the elastic.

"Is this OK?" he paused to whisper, making sure she really wanted him to do this. Bella only moaned slightly so he asked again, "Bella? Is this OK? Baby, do you want this?"

"Yes, yes, yes…. Edward, yes…" she begged, her eyes still closed and her head thrown back.

Damn, she was so beautiful!

Edward continued to move his hand under the elastic until his fingers were touching her wet curls. His heart was pounding in his chest from his own arousal and his desire to make this perfect for her. He moved his hand in gentle circles, massaging the whole area, before dipping a single finger into her folds to find her clit. He teased just the tip of it for a moment while Bella's whole body went rigid with the intense feeling. She let out a shaky breath as her shoulders relaxed and Edward began to touch her again in that most sensitive area that was so soft; so incredibly warm. He moved lower so he was stroking her inner lips and back up to her clit again. Her breath was peppered with soft cries now that moved her chest up and down. Edward began to kiss and tease her breasts as he stroked her, finally taking one nipple into his mouth to suck.

That was what pushed Bella over the edge.

Tremors shot through her body, converging under his touch as she convulsed around him. Her legs squeezed shut automatically, trapping his fingers, and her back arched off the mattress completely.

"Edward!" she squealed his name a moment before he quieted her with his kiss. She continued to gasp against this mouth as she tried to kiss him back. The throbbing explosion in her body began to ease, but her breath was still uneven and her heart didn't want to slow down.

"Edward," she sighed softly between kisses as she waited for her pulse to stop racing. "Edward… Edward…"

"Bella…" he echoed as he rested his forehead on hers. "Baby, are you all right?"

"Yes," she replied, her eyes were still closed as if she were afraid to break some spell. "Hmmm… So very, very all right."

Edward smiled down at her and brushed her hair out of her face. It was several long moments before she finally looked up at him. Her smile was brilliant, relaxed and happy, and it put a strange ache in his chest.

"Mmm… wow..." she breathed, than giggled contently as she reached up to stroke his face. "I probably don't want to know how you learned to do that, but you certainly are quite good."

Edward shook his head. "Just from you, sweetheart," he confessed. "I've never touch anyone else like that."

"Ever?" Bella looked surprised. "But, I thought…"

"What?"

"Just that," Bella shrugged a little uncomfortably, "Haven't you… like… been with…"

"Who?!" Edward asked, a little defensively. "Who do you think I've been with?"

Bella bit her lip and suddenly didn't want to answer. "Laruen?" she confessed, sounding more like a question.

Edward rose up on his elbow above her. "Lauren!" he echoed. "You think I've slept with _Lauren?"_

"So, you haven't?" Bella asked again, feeling guilty and hopeful at the same time.

"No, I've never slept with Lauren!" Edward was horrified at the idea. "Even if I had slept with someone before, it wouldn't have been _Lauren!_"

"Oh," was all Bella could reply, but she couldn't hide the relieved smile that spread across her face.

"Where would you even get that idea?" Edward asked, still annoyed at the thought.

Bella really didn't want to answer this question, but she did.

"Alice," she told him.

"Alice!" Now Edward was getting pissed. "Alice told you I slept with Lauren?"

"Well, she said that you stayed over at Lauren's house the night of her Christmas party. She said you didn't come home until early the next morning and Lauren wouldn't confirm or deny if anything happened."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Edward rolled his eyes. "There was an ice storm, for shit sake. Remember? And I wasn't the only one stuck at her house. _And_ her parents were home!"

Bella brushed her fingers through his hair to soothe him, although she couldn't quite control the grin that kept popping up on her face. He was so cute like this!

"So, you never slept with her," Bella confirmed with a twinkle in her eye. "Or anyone else?"

"No," Edward replied, still irritated. "Who the hell _else_ thinks I slept with Lauren that night?"

"Um… kind of everyone," Bella told him trying not to laugh.

Edward didn't see the humor in any of this. "Well, shit!" he cursed, flopping onto his back beside her. "That thought killed the mood."

Bella rolled over beside him and propped her chin up on his chest.

"I'm sorry," she told him, watching his face. "But you've got the reputation as a stud… there's nothing you can do about it?"

"Don't try to act like you don't find this funny," Edward scolded her. "Hell, if I'd been with Lauren I'd probably have a disease. I'm surprised you even had the guts to kiss me."

"Well," Bella started to draw little circles across his bare chest. "I actually did hope it wasn't true. At least the Lauren part. But, I didn't know if you'd been with anyone else. You aren't the kind to broadcast it if you had been."

"Well, I haven't," Edward said again, slowly coming down from his foul mood. "How the hell could I have been? I've spent the last decade trying to get _you_ out of my system."

"And how is that going for you?" Bella asked casually as she brushed her thumb across his nipple.

Edward sucked in his breath and finally lowered his gaze to smile at her. Fuck she was gorgeous!

"I'll let you know in another decade," he teased, not hearing the implication of his words until after they were out.

The room grew very quiet for a moment. Bella just gazed back up at him, rubbing her cheek against his chest, and sighed contently.

"Aren't you even going to ask me?" she questioned after another moment.

"Ask you what?"

"Ask me if _I've_ ever been with anyone before?"

Edward grinned at her affectionately and ran his hand through her long hair. "No," he told her. "I already know you haven't."

Bella wasn't sure if she should feel pleased or insulted.

"How do you know?" she asked, rising up slightly to be more eye-level to him. "What makes you so sure?"

"Because I've kind of made it my business to know."

"Oh," she replied and a crease formed across her forehead. Again, she wasn't sure how she should feel about that.

Edward reached his finger up to smooth her puckered brow. "You aren't the type to broadcast either, but I do know how to read you fairly well. I can usually tell what you think or feel about the person you are with." He shrugged a little self-consciously as he tried to explain his watchful behavior. "I just didn't want to see you with someone who might hurt you. Making you miserable was my job," he finished with a wicked grin.

Bella leaned down and kissed his chest. "I think you are losing your touch with that," she told him. "Might be time to find new employment."

Edward chuckled and caressed her bare back while she continued to kiss his chest slowly.

A car door slammed loudly outside and startled them both.

"Damn," Bella muttered, looking over her shoulder to the window.

"It's probably just mom getting back from the grocery store," Edward said.

A second door slammed shut, softer than the first.

"Not unless she brought someone home with her. And wouldn't she have pulled into the garage anyway?" Bella pointed out.

"Damn" Edward echoed her original thought.

The front door opened and muffled voices could be heard.

"Oh, shit!" Bella suddenly dragged herself off of Edward and grouped for her missing shirt. "Alice and Jasper must be back!"

Edward groaned. "Well, they probably won't come upstairs," he suggested pleadingly.

"And if they do?" Bella was pulling her shirt back over her head which made Edward pout. "Sorry, but I need a shower anyway."

That perked him up. "Yeah, me too!" he announced as he followed her off of the bed.

Bella just laughed and raced him out of the room. He caught her in the hallway and she shushed him playfully when he started laughing too. With his arms wrapped around her from behind he tried to walk her towards the bathroom. He was kissing and sucking on her neck, causing them both to stumble several times.

"You aren't _really_ going to take your shower with me, you know?" Bella whispered over her shoulder to him.

"OK, I'll just watch," he mumbled into her skin. "Can I at least wash your back?"

"Edward!" she scolded, blushing slightly

"Well, can't I wash _something_?"

"Edward!"

"What?" he asked innocently as they reached the bathroom door.

She could see the teasing in his eyes and knew he loved getting a reaction out of her.

"You stay out here," she ordered, emphasizing her point by pointing into the hallway.

"Alice, I think they are both still asleep!" Emmett's booming voice sounded through the house, clearly trying to give them a warning.

Footsteps on the stairs followed immediately and Alice's high voice called back, "Well, probably not any more! Loud much, Emmett? Geez!"

Seconds before Alice's bouncing head came into the view at the end of the hallway, Bella opened the bathroom door and shoved Edward inside. She tried to quickly follow him, but Alice caught sight of her before she could step all the way in.

"Bella?" Alice called as she pranced over to her.

Bella shut the bathroom door and leaned against it to face her, praying that Alice wasn't going to say she needed to go in herself.

"Oh, hey, Alice," she said, trying to appear sleepy.

Shit, were her clothes on strait? All the buttons fastened? She knew she had swollen lips. Would Alice notice? Would she catch the smell of Edward's cologne on her?

It seemed impossible that Alice _wouldn't_ notice all these things and know exactly what Bella had been up to. But Alice just approached her quietly, her hand clasped in front of her and her head slightly lowered.

"Bella," she started timidly. "Look, I'm sorry we fought. The truth is, I can't even remember what it was all about and I don't want us to be mad at each other."

Bella felt like she was standing guard over the bathroom door and she silently pleaded with Edward not to make a sound on the other side. She knew that Alice was waiting for her to reply to this olive branch and she tried to think of the appropriate thing to say.

"Um, yeah, OK," she managed to utter without enthusiasm.

"Please, Bella, we need to talk." Alice took a step closer.

"Well, I was about to take a shower." Bella put her hand on the door knob to keep Alice from going in. "Can we talk when I get out?"

Alice bit her lip and seemed to think about this. "Well, sure," she said. "But I'm not letting you get out of this. We _need_ to talk so I'll be waiting for you as soon as you are finished."

"That's not really necessary, Alice."

"Yes it is! We are going to fix this, Bella. It's our Spring Break, after all, and I want everything to be happy again?"

"Yeah, Alice, me too," Bella insisted. "But you don't have to wait out here for me. Really!"

"Hurry up and get in there, Bella," Alice pushed. "The sooner you are done the sooner we can talk things out and get ready for today."

"What's today?"

"Everyone's going to the lake. We going to have a picnic and then a bond fire"

"We are? When did this come about?"

"Just this morning," Alice continued impatiently. "Jessica is throwing it together. It's going to be great, so we have to get moving."

Alice started to open the door for her, but Bella jumped in front of her quickly. "Ok, ok," she agreed as she slipped into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

"I'll be waiting!" Alice called from the hallway.

Bella just glared at Edward who was leaning against the sink with an overly amused look on his face.

"So," he said quietly. "I guess you have a shower to get to."

Bella sighed. "And clearly you can't leave this room before I'm done or Alice will know you were in here," she whispered back in frustration.

Edward grinned devilishly at her.

"But don't think this means you are getting your way, mister!" Bella whispered harshly. "You are keeping your back turned and your eyes shut. I might even shower in the dark."

"Don't be silly," Edward told her. "With your coordination you'd end up with a concussion."

He did have a point there, damn it!

"My offer to wash your back still stands."

"You're awful!"

"And you are fucking adorable when you get all modest."

Bella couldn't stop her grin this time. "Shut up," she muttered just for affect.

Edward chucked softly and reached out for her hands so he could pull her to him, leaning down to kiss her lips.

"You're an asshole," Bella moaned against his lips, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Mmmm… and you're a shrew," he teased back.

Bella opened her mouth beneath his, inviting his tongue inside. Edward gladly complied and held her tighter. Grabbing around her ass, he pulled up against him until her feet no longer touched the ground. Bella gasp in response as her turned to sit her on the counter and continued to attack her mouth.

"Ah… Edward," Bella sighed when he moved to kiss her neck and she wrapped her legs around him.

He was still wearing only boxers and feeling him pressed against her made her warm all over. No one else could ever make her react like this.

"I don't hear the water! What are you doing in there, Bella?" Alice's loud voice was accompanied by a knock at the door. "We don't have all day!"

Edward made a sound that was very close to a growl.

"Shit! Did you lock the door?" Bella whispered fiercely in his ear.

He stepped back reluctantly, a clearly annoyed look on his face, and turned the shower on.

"Give me just a minute, Al!" Bella called out. "I'm getting in now."

"Well, hurry up already!" Alice replied, more excited than annoyed.

Bella hopped off the counter. "Yeah, OK," she told Alice while she looked at Edward.

His frustrated expression had been replaced by a look of anticipation. He raised one eye brow and smiled openly at her. She smirked back at him and shook her head.

"N O," Bella mouthed the word silently and Edward literally stuck out his lower lip in reaction. She giggled at that and had to slap a hand over her own mouth to keep quiet. She made a circular motion with her finger telling him to turn around. Edward just sighed and did as she requested. Facing away from the shower with his hands on the wall, he listened to Bella adjust the water temperature.

"No peeking," she whispered into his ear from behind.

"I've seen most of it," he pointed out.

"It doesn't matter. You haven't seen the whole picture yet, so no peeking."

He could hear her stepping out of her shorts behind him. Something hit the floor softly and he imagined it was her shirt. Was she standing totally naked now? Just inches away from him? He moaned stiffly and rested his head on the wall in front of him, his gaze fixed on the floor. He thought he heard Bella stifle another giggle and then something was tossed near him, directly where his eyes would see it.

"Fuck!" Edward groaned again as he realized it was Bella's panties. He had felt them earlier, but he hadn't seen them. They were baby-blue cotton with little edges of lace and they shouldn't have looked hotter than hell but, damn, they sure did! "You are cruel and you are going to pay for that later."

"Promises, promises…" Bella teased as she pulled back the shower curtain. It was a dark, cranberry color that revealed nothing, so she knew her body was blocked from view for now. "I'm in," she called to Edward quietly. "You can turn around if you want." Ducking under the shower to wet her hair, she paused to let the water wash over her. "Mmmm…" the warmth felt good and her sigh of contentment might have come out a little louder than she intended.

Edward groaned again from the other side of the curtain. "You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?"

"What?"

"Totally turning me on."

Bella snickered, "Well, apparently it's not that hard to do."

"Not for you," Edward admitted. "You don't even have to try. What are you washing right now?"

"Are you serious?" Bella sputtered, pulling back the curtain just enough to stick her head out. "What did you just ask me?"

Edward grinned, noticing the shampoo suds on her scalp. "I would have washed your hair for you," he answered.

Bella rolled her eyes and disappeared back behind the curtain.

"So, did you hear what Alice said about the lake today?"

"I heard," Edward answered. "I guess it could be worse."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Alice could have taken you away to go shopping or something all day. At least this way I get to still spend the day with you, even if it has to be in a crowd."

Bella smiled to herself. "So, I take it that you're going?" she asked.

"Of course! I mean, if you are."

Bella's smiled got even wider. "You do realize you are being incredibly sweet right now, don't you?"

"I am?" Edward seemed genuinely surprised at first, but then he became ridiculously pleased with himself. "Of course I am! Does that mean I get a reward?"

"You're awful," Bella chided. "You are getting to stand in here and talk to me while I'm taking a shower. Isn't that a pretty good prize?"

"Yes. It is. So tell me what you are washing now," he pleaded. "Since you won't let me wash your back. Are you washing your back?"

"Nooo…" she drew the syllable out slowly. "I'm actually washing my front." She was awarded with another groan from Edward and she laughed. "Now, start behaving or I'll keep torturing you."

"Fine," Edward pouted like a little boy and was silent.

Bella finished her routine quickly and called out softly just a few moments later. "I'm almost done, so can you turn around again?"

Facing the wall, Edward heard Bella shut the water off and pulled back the curtain. After a moment she stepped out and told him he could turn back. When he did he saw her wrapped in a big, pink towel that was tucked in around her breasts and hanging to just above her knees. She had another towel in her hands that she was drying her hair with. Her face was scrubbed pink and she wore the cutest grin. Damn he just wanted to push her up against the wall right then.

Moving slowly towards her, he took the towel out of her hand without a word and started drying her hair for her. She let him take over, leaning her back against his chest while he pressed his lips against the top of her head. The wet strands felt silky and smelled like strawberries. He kissed her head again and then moved down to kiss her bare shoulder. Setting the towel on the counter he reached for the hair brush and began to carefully brush out the tangles.

Bella closed her eyes and swallowed against the wave of emotion that swept over her. No one other than her mother had ever brushed her hair for her. It made her feel so cared for; so precious to someone. She felt his fingers on her neck and tilted her head to one side. He placed several kisses behind her ear while continuing to brush her long hair smooth. Her eyes still closed, she twisted her face around to his until their mouths met. The brush clattered to the floor as Edward's arms wound around her from behind. Bella brought her arm back and over her shoulder to grip his hair, pulling him closer.

"Bella! Did you drowned?" Alice knocked on the door again. "What is taking so long?"

Bella pulled back from Edward reluctantly and started to straiten her towel. "I'll be right out," she told Alice. "I'll meet you in your room."

Edward still had not let go of her and rested his chin on her shoulder. Their eyes met in the mirror in front of them and they were both pouting now.

"I could fake a stomach ache," Bella offered.

"No, my mother would just hover over you all day if you did that."

"I guess you're right," she agreed. "Well, don't forget to act like you just came in here after me. Wait until I'm at Alice's room and then slam this door hard."

""You're such a little sneak," Edward teased. "It's actually kind of hot. Should I yell at you for using up all the hot water?"

"Yeah, and call me a shrew too!" Bella giggled as Edward tickled her stomach over the towel. "You know, we are going to have to be pretty convincing in front of everyone at the lake today."

"You mean play the part of being enemies?"

"Think you can handle that?"

"As long as you don't flirt with Newton."

"Hmm…. But that could be fun. You are so cute when you're jealous."

Edward bit her ear lobe. "So, should I try to make you jealous?"

"Mmm… Absolutely! After all, I'm sure _Lauren_ will be there."

"Don't you dare start with that!" Edward warned as he tickled her again.

Bella squirmed and laughed without remorse until Edward began kissing her neck again. He ran his hands up and down her bare arms several times before finally stepping back with a dramatic sigh.

"You should go before you let me start something we can't finish in here," he told her.

"I know. I'm just sorry I don't get to stay for _your_ shower."

"Trust me, baby. It's already going to be a cold one."

"Poor Edward," Bella cooed and kissed him quickly before he released her.

Thankfully no one was in the hallway when she started towards Alice's room. She had just reached the door when she heard Edward yell at her.

"Damn it, Swan! You'd better not have used _all_ the hot water!"

"It's not my fucking fault if you sleep half the day away, Cullen!" she snapped in reply, turning to share a smile with him.

"Shrew!"

"Asshole!"

She blew him a kiss and he winked at her before slamming the bathroom door closed.

Oh yeah… this was going to be fun!

* * *

**I thought it was time for Bella and Edward to have a little fun this chapter. I hope everyone else enjoyed it too!**

**~Alexanya**


	9. Faking It

**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to **

**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

* * *

Enemy Mine

Chapter Nine: "Faking It"

Oh yeah… this was going to be fun!

Alice was sitting cross-legged on her bed and chatting rapidly on her cell phone when Bella walked into the bedroom.

"Yeah…Yeah…OK, Jess… That works… Yeah, OK…. What about drinks?... Bad idea…. OK, I can bring that…"

Bella pulled her bag onto the spare bed and sat beside it. Rummaging through her clothing she decided on a pair of skinny jeans and a white top. She'd bring her Forks High School hoodie with her incase it got colder at night.

"Shorts!" Alice suddenly snapped at her.

"Huh?"

"It's going to be sunny! You gotta show off those incredible legs of yours!" Alice told her in no uncertain terms. "What? No, sorry, Jess. I was talking to Bella."

Shaking her head, Bella laid the jeans on the bed beside her. She didn't want to wear shorts and risk her ugly bruise being seen. It was surprising that Alice hadn't noticed it yet or, if she had, that she hadn't mentioned it. The towel around Bella covered the bruise when she was standing but not when she sat down. As she waited for Alice to hang up from talking with Jessica, she decided that if Alice asked her about the bruise she would tell her the truth. Maybe she should tell Alice what happened even if she didn't see the bruise. It was possible that Alice was trying to be polite by not pointing the bruise out when she saw it, although, it was more like Alice to blurt out what she was thinking to Bella without sensors. But, that was the whole point. They were BFFs and told each other everything. Maybe it wasn't right to hold back now. Even if she didn't say anything about Jacob, maybe it was time to say something about Edward.

Bella suddenly began to feel very guilty. Shit! She was basically "dating" Alice's brother behind her back and making out with him whenever Alice was out of sight. Emmett knew about them and was fine with it. How was Alice going to feel when she found out they had kept her in the dark? Maybe that wasn't the sort of thing a good friend would do.

"Jess, I gotta go. Jasper is going to be here any minute. We'll see you there!" Alice finally finished her conversation and slide her phone closed. "That girl will talk you to death! I mean, I know you think _I_ am bad, but…"

"You've got nothing on Jessica, Alice," Bella told her with a friendly smile. "Believe me I know."

Alice smiled back. It was the kind of relieved smile that said, _I'm so glad we are still friends and I'd never want to lose that._

Alice's smile suddenly faltered when she saw the jeans Bella had beside her. "Shorts!" she ordered again.

"Alice, I don't want to wear shorts," Bella said gently, biting her lower lip. "There is actually a very good reason why I don't want to wear them… I kind of wanted to talk to you about that… about that and… well… about some other things that are kind of important…."

This was harder than Bella thought. It wasn't nerves that got in her way or even guilt. It was a strange sort of grief. When she tried to think of the words to explain all that had transpired over the last few days it felt like a volcano of emotions just bubbling to the surface.

"Bella, are you OK?" Alice asked, her face scrunched up in confusion as she watched her friend's eyes tearing up.

Bella didn't trust her voice to speak suddenly, so she just nodded and gestured for Alice to give her a moment.

"I want to tell you some stuff, Al," she managed to say. "I want to confide in you, if that is OK."

"Well, sure it's OK, Bells," Alice replied. "You are my best friend. I'm totally here for you!"

Bella smiled at her, "Thanks, Al."

"But Jasper is going to be here any minute. Maybe we can talk another time?" Alice saw Bella's face fall and quickly added, "Just because this sounds like it might take awhile and everyone is expecting us to be at the lake. I just don't want you to feel rushed when we talk. You understand that, right?"

"But I thought you wanted us to talk. Isn't that why you were stalking the bathroom while I took a shower?"

"We _are_ talking!" Alice insisted with a grin. "And we are OK now, right? I hate it when we fight."

Alice looked worried so Bella assured her, "I'm not mad at you, Al. It's not that, it's just…"

"What?"

"Nothing," Bella said, not meeting her eyes. This was clearly not the time for a heart to heart.

A car pulled into the driveway and Alice dashed to the window.

"Jasper is back!" she announced. Trotting over to the spare bed, she wrapped Bella in a hug. "You're the best friend in the world, you know that? I'm so glad we made up! We're going to have so much fun today."

Bella returned the hug automatically at first, but then turned it into a real squeeze. She loved Alice for her enthusiasm. She didn't want to dampen her Spring Break and it really took too much energy to stay mad at her.

"You're right. Today is going to be fun," Bella agreed with her.

Without another word, Alice released her and ran down the stairs to greet Jasper.

Bella tried not to be disappointed. Maybe she should feel relieved that Alice didn't want to hear about all her drama. It just felt strange because she used to tell Alice everything. Alice used to practically demand full disclosure so it was never anything she had to worry about. Now, it felt like Alice didn't really want to know what was going on with her BFF. Of course that wasn't it. She was just busy enjoying her Spring Break, right? Well, maybe she had the right idea. It was Spring Break and they should all try to enjoy it.

Bella pushed her melancholy away and focused on the good parts of the present. She has always been good and suppressing unpleasant things and, with Edward around, there were plenty of pleasant thoughts to have.

Getting dressed quickly, and sticking with her choice of jeans because Alice was just going to have to deal with it, Bella combed out her damp hair and rushed to the door. In her distracted state she had forgotten to gather up her sleeping clothes in the bathroom. She didn't want the Cullens to think she was a messy guest who didn't pick up after herself, so she went towards the bathroom see if Edward was finished with his shower.

He was, apparently, because he came into the hall just then with only a towel wrapped low around his waist. One arm was pulled around his back to hold the ends of the towel together making the muscles on his naked chest more prominent. His hair was wet and messy, and there were droplets of water running down his throat.

D A M N ! ! !

Holy, fucking shit!

How the hell was she supposed to keep her hands off of THAT all day???

Edward smirked when he finally saw her. She realized too late that her mouth was hanging open so any attempt to deny his affect on her now would only make her look more pathetic. She decided to try a different approach instead.

"Hmmm…" she said as he slowly walked closer. She was glad she could hear Alice and Jasper's voices safely down in the kitchen. "I must say, Cullen, for an ass you do present a very nice view."

"Bella, Bella," he sang back, shaking his head at her playfully. "What _is_ this obsession you have with my ass?"

She played back, giving him a huge smile. "Maybe you can help me get over that affliction? Turn around and give me a better view."

"Miss Swan! I'm shocked at you? I guess it's true what they say about Police Chief's daughters."

"Oh, they don't say anything about Police Chief's daughters!" Bella laughed, trying to get Edward to turn around. "That's minister's daughter, or something,"

Edward kept twisting and turning to evade her. "No, no, I'm pretty sure it's Police Chief's daughters. "

"What do you have behind your back?" she suddenly asked.

"Just my modesty."

"Bull shit," Bella retorted. "What are you hiding?"

Edward shook his head again and backed towards his room. "I don't know what to say about your behavior, Miss Swan."

"I'll bet," she said, unconvinced. But Edward had already backed into his room so Bella went to retrieve her clothes.

There was no problem seeing inside the bathroom. Even the mirror wasn't steamed up. Edward must have been serious about taking a cold shower. Her sleep shorts and shirt were lying on the floor where she left them… but that was all that was lying on the floor.

"Edward!" Bella yelled harshly, not really caring now if the rest of the house heard her. She stormed down the hall to Edward's room and knocked on the door. "Damn it, Edward! Give them back."

The door opened a crack, just enough to see that Edward's chest was still bear and he hadn't taken the time to fasten his jeans. Damn him for being sexy at a time like this.

"Hello, Bella," he spoke politely. "Was there something you needed?"

"Don't start with me, you fuck head," she said trying as hard as possible to keep the grin off of her face. Why did she have to find him cute while he was infuriating her? "I want them back?"

"You want what back?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, you shit!" She was losing the battle with her smile and that was pissing her off even more. "My panties! I want them back!"

"Bella," Edward signed. "Did you loose your panties? You know, that really isn't a ladylike thing to do."

"You asshole!"

"Language, Bella!" Edward pretended again to be shocked.

"Damn it, Edward. You're really starting to piss me off! Now, just give me back my panties."

"I don't know what you are taking about."

"Yes you do! I know you took them out of the bathroom and I want them back!"

"Are you accusing _me_ of stealing your panties, Bella?"

"Oh, shut up, you asshole, and give them back!"

"Give what back?"

"Edward, I swear I'm going to fucking…"

Bella's threat was cut short by the sound of Jasper laughing behind them. "Holy hell, Alice. You weren't kidding! Do they always fight like that?"

Edward and Bella both looked to the top of the stairs to see Alice standing next to Jasper and shaking her head disapprovingly at them.

"Yes," Alice sighed. "Always."

"So, what are you fighting about?" Jasper asked.

Alice put her hand on his arm and steered him back towards the stairs. "Don't bother, Jazz, I'm sure we don't really want to know. I just wanted to make sure one of them wasn't actually killing the other this time."

Bella turned back to see Edward smirking at her like he'd won the round. Well at least their act as enemies was off to a good start. She turned to leave, but Edward caught her around the middle and bent down to her ear.

"I told you your teasing was going to cost you, baby," he whisper softly.

"And my panties are the price?"

"What panties?" he asked again innocently as he kissed her neck.

Bella's soft giggle had a hard edge, "Oh, it is _so_ on, Cullen."

Edward released her with a dark chuckle of his own, backing into her room and closing the door.

Bella hurried to follow Alice and Jasper down the stairs and into the kitchen. She was still grinning from Edward's teasing and she worked to put a scowl on her face. The scowl vanished into surprise when she saw what Alice had already piled the counters high with chips, soda, blankets, and bags of ice.

"Is the whole town coming?" Bella asked in surprise.

"Word spreads quickly in this little place," Alice replied as she bounced around the room. "I'm sure a lot of people will be showing up."

"Yeah, but do you have to feed them all yourself?" Bella laughed.

"That's what I tried to tell her," Emmett said, coming in from the garage with a large cooler and looking at the mountain of supplies. "How long do you plan on us living at the lake, Alice"

"Oh, you be quiet!" Alice retorted over the sound of Jasper's laughter. He seemed to laugh a lot these days. Apparently their new relationship was making him as happy as it was Alice.

"Are you coming too, then?" Bella asked Emmett. "Are you sure a bunch of Juniors like us are cool enough for a big Senior like you to hang out with?"

"Probably not!" Emmett teased. "But Rosalie actually likes you brats, for some reason. She wanted a chance to hang out again after last weekend's party."

"I like her too!" Bella replied. "I'm glad she's coming."

"Well, anything has got to be more fun that going to a private girls' school," Jasper added. "I hear they don't even allow the students to listen to music there."

"And they have to wear those horrible uniforms," Alice shuttered. "Plaid every day. I mean, can you imagine!"

Emmett just laughed and winked at Jasper. "I actually like the way Rose looks in her little girl school uniform. She should wear it every day."

"Ha! I'm going to tell her you said that," Alice warned. "When is she getting here?"

"I'm picking her up on the way. And she already knows I love her in her uniform."

"Oh, since you are going out that way you can pick up Angela and Ben."

"I'm not a damn taxi service. Make Edward pick them up." Without thinking, Emmett turned to look at Bella and asked, "He's coming too, isn't he?"

Bella froze, unsure how to respond. The small part of her brain that wasn't trying to figure out how she should react was stunned to find Emmett already thinking of her and Edward as a couple. She kind of liked it but, to everyone else, she was the last person who would know, or care, what Edward's plans were.

"How the hell should I know?" she replied to Emmett's question as casually as she could. "I hope not, but he'll probably be there."

"Shit! I forgot to tell him about it!" Alice jumped. "I got distracted by the two of you fighting and forgot. I hope he hasn't made other plans."

"Edward and Bella were fighting?" Emmett asked.

Alice laughed, "You actually looked surprised, Em."

Bella glanced over at Emmett cautiously and saw him watching her with a look of real concern. He was trying to figure out if it was real fight or a fake one. It made Bella feel guilty again realizing that Emmett was actually worried about them.

"Why don't I start carrying some of this stuff out to the call, Al?" she asked, needing a reason to get out of the kitchen. Grabbing several bags in her arms she ducked down the hall and into the garage, determined to hide out until just before they left.

Alice stared to where Bella had exited. "If Edward doesn't come, do you think we could still use his car? It has so much more room than mine." Before anyone could answer her, Alice bellowed, "Edward!"

"You don't have to shout. I'm right here," Edward told her as he walked into the kitchen. "Damn, for a little thing you have a loud mouth. And I already heard you talking about the lake," he cut her off when she started to reproach him. "Yeah, I'll come and, yes, I suppose we can take my car. Happy now?"

"Extremely so, thank you!" Alice leaned up to kiss his cheek and then shoved a pile of blankets in his arms. "Now, here, take these to the garage and tell Bella to load everything up in your car instead of mine."

Edward made a disgusted face. "Fine," he muttered.

"And be nice to her too!" Alice yelled at him as he walked away. "I'm sick of hearing the two of you fight!"

"Don't push your luck," he grumbled on his way out.

Bella was leaning against the hood of Alice's car when Edward came into the garage. She turned when he shut the door and her expression instantly lifted into a smile.

"So, Alice recruited you too?" she asked leaning her elbows back on the hood and watching him set the blankets on the roof of his car.

"You say that like we are ever given a choice," he replied, opening the door to pop the truck. "She's recruited my car too."

Edward left the blankets on the roof and moved to stand in front of Bella. He braced his hands on the front of the hood and leaned over her.

"She also told me to be nice to you," he said, bringing his face closer to hers. "And I wouldn't want to disobey Alice."

"Does that mean you are going to give me my panties back?" Bella sat up quickly and pushed on Edward chest. "Because I'm going to make sure you don't get the chance to steal them again."

"What does that mean?" Edward asked, laughing at her high-handed tone.

Bella shrugged, "Oh, I don't know. I just thought it might be a good idea to play it safe and not wear any. You can't steal what isn't there."

Edward's laughter stopped.

"You're not wearing any panties?" he asked, he voice suddenly thick.

"I wasn't sure it was such a good idea," she answered cryptically, standing up to move around him.

Edward pulled her into his arms before she could step away. Bella held onto his elbows and leaned back to give him a coy look.

"Are you or aren't you?" Edward asked again and moved his hands to grab her ass and pull her up against him.

Bella let out a surprised squeal and then smiled as she wound her arms around his neck. Edward's fingers were gripping and massaging her ass through her jeans and she rolled her head back with a moan.

"I don't know if I should tell you. Why don't you just wonder about that all day?" she replied as she leaned up to kiss his chin.

Edward growled and slammed his mouth down on hers. Bella responded with an equal amount of force. She actually _was_ wearing panties. The idea of walking around all day with jeans chaffing her did not sound very comfortable. But she was surprised to find out that just the idea of Edward thinking she wasn't was actually quite a turn on.

Edward's tongue pushed into Bella's mouth and she sucked on it enthusiastically. They backed up against Alice's car together and Edward pushed Bella down onto the hood. She grabbed the back of his neck to pull him down on top of her and wrapped her legs around his hips. Edward braced himself on one hand and trailed the other across Bella's breasts. She moaned at his touch and ran her hands down his back.

"So it was a fake fight?" Emmett's voice came from behind them. "Or is this the making up part? And why, for shit's sake, am I the only dumb fuck who gets to walk in on the two of you?!"

Edward broke the kiss first and started to pull away, but Bella grabbed his face and began planting quick kisses all over it.

"It's just Emmett," she said between rapid kisses. "Ignore him."

Edward laughed at her behavior and moved to kiss her back.

"Hey!" Emmett protested. "Be nice! The only reason I'm out here is because Alice was afraid you two were fighting again. She said you'd been out here too long, Bells, so something must be up." Emmett barked a laugh as the two of them came up for air again. "Yeah, and I figured she was right… about something being up. Damn, I thought you two didn't want to be caught!"

"That's why you're the dumb fuck, Emmett," Edward told him with a grateful smile as he helped Bella stand back up. "You keep covering for us, so you are the one who catches us."

Bella walked over to Emmett and reached up on her tip toes to pinch his cheek. "Edward is right. You're the best, Em."

Emmett brushed her hand away in annoyance. "Just get in the house and behave yourself, Bells," he teased her back. He watched until she was gone and shook his head. "Damn, this is weird!"

"What?" Edward asked.

"You know _what_, little bro. Its like aliens have invaded your minds! Who are you and where are the _real_ Edward and Bella?" Emmett shuttered. "At least she looks better today. She's smiling again. So, is everything OK now?"

"With Bella?" Edward hesitated. "Like I told you, she'll be fine. I'm not going to let anything happen to her. But, you'll still keep an eye on her for me when I'm not around, right?"

"For you? Keep and eye on _Bella_ for _you_?'

"Whatever. You know what I mean."

"Aliens…" Emmett muttered again. "But, yeah, of course. You know I will."

"Thanks."

Before Emmett could say anything more, Bella and Alice came out of the house chatting excitedly.

"Emmett, Rosalie's house is that big white one of the corner of Spruce and Hillside Drive, right?" Alice demanded cheerfully.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because we're picking her up."

"What?" Emmett asked, annoyed. "No you're not. I'm going to get my girlfriend and _we_ will meet you at the lake. Besides, I thought you were taking Edward's car."

"Edward is taking the supplies in his car, right after you two finish loading it up," Alice informed him. "But Bella and I are going to go pick up Angela, Ben, and Rosalie and meet you there."

"Why?"

"Because you said Rosalie wanted to get to know us better and because I want to grill her about you."

Emmett grumbled, but knew better than to bother arguing with Alice.

"Don't worry, Em," Bella assured him. "We promise not to tell her about the time you wiped out on the bunny slope skiing at Mt. Rainer."

"Or about your fear of spiders," Alice added with a giggle as she slid into the driver's side of her car.

With Alice out of sight, Bella smiled at Edward and Emmett over the roof of the car. "See you soon," she said appearing casual, but with a longing in her eyes when her gaze locked with Edward's.

Emmett scoffed. "Yeah, I'm sure it's _me_ you are going to be anxious to see."

"Pick a good spot to set things up," Bella ignored Emmett's joke as she jumped in the car beside Alice.

Alice poked her head out of the side window while starting up the engine and added, "A good spot by the water. And try to have the blankets spread out by the time we get there. We want to claim our area early. This is like the hottest day of the year already so it will probably be crowded." Backing out of the garage she turned to Bella, "Damn, I love this weather! Can you believe it is only March? We should totally go to college in California, Bells!"

Bella laughed, "We'd never get you to class, Al."

"Damn right!" Alice agreed. "You and me would _own _those beaches, girl!"

Bella laughed again, relieved and happy that things were back to normal with Alice. They were two peas in a pod; BFFs forever!

"Why didn't Jasper ride with us?" Bella asked, feeling generous. "I'm surprised he let you out of his sight. He is totally crazy about you, it is obvious.

Alice beamed gratefully, "You really think so?"

"Duh!"

"Well, I told him to ride with the guys. It sounds stupid, but I actually want the boys to like him. And I want him to get to know my brothers better."

"That doesn't sound stupid at all, Al. It's kind of sweet."

"Plus, I wanted us to have some girl talk with Rosalie. You know we gotta make sure she is good enough for Em. But we can't let him know we are watching out for him."

"I get it. But, I think she really makes him happy."

"I do too. I hope she'll be around for awhile, so we should get to know her better. Don't you think?"

"Absolutely! I think I like her already," Bella agreed. "And, I really love to see Emmett so mushy about someone. He's as bad about her as Jasper is about you. It's so cute."

"Now, if we could just find someone who makes my _other_ brother just as happy…" Alice turned to Bella and noticed the uncomfortable look on her face. "Don't start, Bella. I know you think he is the spawn of Satan, but I love Edward. He may be rotten to you, but he is a good brother to me. I can't help it that I want to see him happy."

Bella honestly didn't know what to say. How was she supposed to start this conversation? _By the way, Alice, I keep meaning to tell you that I don't actually hate Edward and I am already making him very happy jumping his body every time you turn your back?_ Now was definitely not the time.

"Earth to Bella!"

"Sorry," Bella jumped when she realized Alice had already broken the silence. "What did you say."

"You were like, a million miles away," Alice looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "What were you thinking about?" When Bella didn't reply right away, Alice went on. "I think I know. Sorry for being 'insensitive' me, again."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, it isn't only Edward I want to see find someone to make them happy. I want you to find someone too." She turned to smile at Bella then. "And you will, Bells. I'm making it my job to find the perfect guy for you!"

"Oh no! No, Alice. Don't you dare start playing match-maker!" Bella cried in alarm. "I'm fucking serious! Don't!"

"Relax," Alice told her, patting her knee. "I'm serious too. I'm not going to go all eHarmony on you. I'll let you do things your own way. But I am going to be on the look out for you. Only the best for my best friend."

"Thanks, Alice…. I think?" Bella chewed her lower lip and was grateful when Alice pulled out her phone call Rosalie, telling her they were on their way.

Rosalie was waiting with a friendly smiled when Alice pulled the car into her drive. "Thanks," she said when she slid in the back seat. "It's nice of you to include me and pick me up."

"It's nice of you to put up with my brother," Alice responded good-naturedly. "He's so much easier to live with now that he's got you. I'm just trying to make sure he doesn't screw this up."

"Don't listen to her, Rose. Emmett is about as good a guy as you could ask for and he really is the one who puts up with Alice!"

"Traitor!" Alice teased.

The conversation stayed on Emmett for most of the ride, with Alice throwing out his flaws and Bella pointing out his good points. The overall consensus was that Rosalie already knew the good and bad of Emmett's personality, and still liked to whole package. Basically, she passed the test.

"So, am I in?" Rosalie teased, knowing exactly what this impromptu conversation had been about.

"Yeah, you're in," Alice told her bluntly. "I just hope Jasper impresses my brothers half as much as you impress me. I think I'd disown Em if he messed things up with you now!"

"That's sweet, but I'm sure Jasper is doing fine. Even I can see you two are great together, and I'm not someone to just say that," Rosalie told her honestly. "So, what about you, Bella?"

"What about me?"

"Rosalie and I are obviously thinking on the same page," Alice beamed. "We have to find the perfect guy for Bells. Don't we, Rose?"

"That's Angela's house coming up, Al," Bella cut in, desperately trying to change the subject. Crap! Alice had a partner in crime now. This could get bad! "I'll run up to the door to get them," she offered quickly, unbuckling her seat belt before Alice had even turned into the drive.

Bella made her way up to the house just as Angela and Ben came out with their arms loaded.

"Need any help?" Bella offered, reaching out to take a grocery sack full of snack food from Angela's hands.

"Thanks," Angela told her quietly, not meeting her eyes.

Bella noticed that neither she nor Ben looked very happy and they were clearly not standing too close together.

_Oh, shit. Trouble in paradise?_

The walk down the drive was silent and after they had put their stuff into Alice trunk Angela and Ben each got into opposite sides of the car, forcing Rosalie to sit in the middle. The tension between them seemed to go unnoticed by Alice and Rosalie, though, as the two of them were laughing hysterically together when the others got in.

"What's so funny?" Bella asked, glad for something to keep the ride from getting awkward.

"It's not _that_ funny," Rosalie insisted to Alice. "But you reaction sure as hell is!"

"What?" Bella demanded again.

"Rosalie thinks…." Alice had another fit of laughter before she could breathe enough to continue. "Rosalie thinks there is something between you and Edward!"

This comment even made Angela and Ben smile.

"You mean something besides a desire to torment and maim?" Ben asked, speaking for the first time.

Alice was still laughing. "Yes, she thinks there is something to all that _pent up passion,_"she quoted dramatically.

Angela giggled. "Hate is pretty passionate, I guess."

"Shit, Alice! There was a reason I mentioned that when Bella wasn't in the car!" Rosalie told her, glancing at Bella in embarrassment.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Rose! Bella thinks this as funny as the rest of us."

Rosalie still looked pissed. "Sorry Bella," she told her sincerely. "I wasn't trying to talk behind your back or anything."

Bella smiled. "Alice is right, no worries! I think you just surprised everyone."

"It's just because you don't know them that well yet," Angela put in, trying to ease Rosalie's embarrassment. "So you don't get why the idea of Bella and Edward feeling anything… romantic… about each other is just too funny."

"Oh! Stop, Angela!" Alice cried. "Don't put words to it because that just makes my skin crawl!"

Rosalie shook her head. "Why the hell is the idea so terrible? You were just saying you want them both to be happy…"

"But not together!" Alice cried again. "Ugh, this isn't funny anymore. The whole conversation is creeping me out. Let's move on to _real_ possibilities for Bella."

"Let's not!" Bella interjected. "Let's talk about something that _isn't_ about Bella. OK?"

"Yeah, Alice. She's been traumatized enough," Angela joked.

"OK, okay. You're off the hook for now, Bells. Let's talk about possibilities for my brother then."

"Lauren!" Bella quickly offered, both as a way to make everyone laugh and in an attempt to keep any descent girls from being suggested.

"Damn, Bella!" Ben laughed. "You really do hate the guy!"

Angela glared at Ben. "Well, you certainly didn't hate kissing her the other night."

"It was a stupid game, Angela." Ben rolled his eyes. "You don't see Rosalie here having a fit because Emmett kissed you!"

"I'm not having a FIT!"

"Hey, guys! We're here!" Alice quickly called out as she pulled into the dirt parking lot off of the highway and eased into park next to Edward's car. She was never going to live down that damn, Spin-the-Bottle game and she knew it.

Bella's eyes automatically scanned for Edward as Alice parked her car. She had been right about the crowd. The warm weather had brought out everyone not lucky enough to be on a Spring Break trip. The blue water sparkled under the bright sun and the grassy banks on every side were dotted with blankets and picnic chairs.

Jumping out of the car, they saw that the guys had set up their stuff under a large oak tree on a slight slope above the water's edge. There was a wooden picnic table holding most of the food and about four large blankets spread out on the ground nearby. Edward was helping Emmett dump bags of ice into a large cooler while Jasper started filling it with cans.

The sun was reflecting off of Edward's hair, making it shine like copper. Bella had the insane desire to run up to him and brush her fingers through it. She grabbed the snack bag from the trunk to make sure her hands were too full to do just that, and slowly followed the others up to their picnic spot.

She knew the instant that Edward spotted her. Alice had called out to Jasper at the same moment that Jessica, Eric, and Mike had all run up from the water in the opposite direction. It was in that moment of turning heads and greeting that Edward's eyes found hers. His body language went instantly from one of searching to a locked stare, and Bella couldn't help but smile back at him.

Oh shit! No wonder Rosalie was suspicious.

Edward saw the worried look suddenly flash in Bella's eyes as she bit her lip. He understood right away and went into action.

"Damn," he cursed loud enough for most of the group to hear and continued to look at Bella. "Isn't there a shrew convention you should be at?"

"Now, why would I want to be anywhere else, when I can ruin your day by being here?" Bella responded sweetly.

Alice actually laughed at this, clearly relieved to have her point made to Rosalie so quickly. Everyone else ignored their insults, except for Lauren who came up from the parking lot just in time to hear Bella's comment.

"Bella, why are you such a bitch?" she asked snidely.

Edward's eyes narrowed in anger and his jaw clenched. Luckily Lauren's back was to him, but Bella saw the change. Shit! Edward would never have tolerated anyone calling Bella a bitch, even before they had realized their feelings for each other. _He_ could call her a bitch, or anything else he wanted to, but no one else could.

"What's your problem, Lauren?" Bella asked quickly before Edward could say anything.

"I just don't get why you have to be such a bitch to Edward all the time," Lauren replied sweetly.

There was that "B" word again. Edward was definitely seeing red now. Shit and fuck! He needed to stay calm.

And, then, the hilarity of the situation occurred to Bella.

"You are defending Edward?" Bella asked Lauren with a grin tugging at her lips. "_You_ are concerned with how he is treated?"

Lauren was clearly uncomfortable with the humor Bella found in what she was saying. "Is that so hard to believe?" she asked, trying to appear innocent.

Bella cracked up then. She couldn't help it. Edward would rather kiss a dead fish then ever touch Lauren; and Lauren was trying to flirt with Edward by attacking the one person he did want to be with. Basically, Lauren was making a total ass of herself without even knowing it, and _that_ shit was funny!

"No, not at all!" she told Lauren. "He is so lucky to have _you_ looking out for his reputation." Bella started to laugh again, remembering the rumors Lauren had spread last winter, and saw Edward trying not to crack a smile.

Lauren shook her head in disgust. "Jealous, much?" she asked, trying to bait Bella with the idea that Edward might want her.

"Oh, absolutely!" Bella replied, sarcastically. "I think you should stay extra close to Edward all day, just to play it safe. I'm sure he'd just _love_ that."

Bella winked at Edward who scowled at her, thinking of how he could get her back for that.

"Are we having a cat fight already? Could this day get any better?" Mike's voice came from behind Bella.

"Shut up, Mike!" Lauren growled, glaring hard at both of them.

"Wow, she looks kind of pissed," Mike said playfully, placing a hand on Bella's shoulder. "Do you need back up?"

"Fuck off, Newton!" Edward suddenly snapped. Was that jerk actually _touching_ Bella?

Mike laughed nervously, "What?"

If he didn't get his fucking hand off of her in two seconds he was going to lose it, that's _what!_

"Maybe I like having two girls fight over me," Edward said instead.

"Still having those delusions, are you, Cullen?" Bella asked in mock concern. "Weren't you going to get medication for that?"

"Good one, Bella!" Mike praised as he moved his hand to the small of her back and leaned towards her. "Maybe we should move over here where it is safer."

Bella glanced up to see two green eyes shooting daggers at Mike's head.

Oh, shit! Mayday! Red alert! That was probably pushing Edward's button a little too far!

"That's OK, Mike," Bella said, stepping away from his touch. "I'm sure Lauren fights dirty, but I doubt she can hit that hard."

Lauren said something nasty as Bella turned her back and walked towards Alice and Jasper. Mike looked frustrated that she had dismissed him but he squared his shoulders to follow her for another attempt.

"Give it up, Newton," Edward snapped.

Mike looked up at him startled, but then narrowed his eyes as he caught his meaning. "What is it to you, Cullen?"

Edward chuckled in an unfriendly way. "You look like an idiot. She's not interested."

"And you know Bella's interests so well because…."

Edward just shrugged.

"Oh, who cares, Edward?" Lauren said, stepping closer to him and leaning against his side a little. "They deserve each other. In fact, I'd say Mike is a perfect match for Bella. Don't you agree?"

Fuck that! The devil would be throwing snowballs in his own front yard before Edward would tell Mike Newton he was a good match for Bella.

"Hell, no!" Edward answered, much to Lauren's surprise. "She might be a shrew, but she can do better than you, Mike."

"And why would you care?" Lauren suddenly snapped, no longer trying to be sweet.

Edward looked at her and felt nauseated. People really thought he would ever have wanted THAT?

"She's my sister's best friend," he stated as he turned to walk away. "She has to at least be with someone that Alice approves of." Edward knew that was a weak ass answer, but he was really sick of this conversation.

Shit! He'd probably have to do some sort of damage control now. What was something rude he could say to get Bella riled up?

Looking over towards the others, he saw Bella smiling at something Alice was animatedly explaining. Every time Alice would get a little over expressive with her hands Bella would pretend to dodge out of their way, making everyone laugh. Damn it, he didn't want to pick a fight with her right now. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and breathe in her strawberry scent. He wanted to kiss her senseless in front of everyone to make it clear they belonged together and all other males needed to back the fuck off.

"Don't do it, Bro," Emmett said, coming up from behind him and watching as Lauren and Mike walked away. When Edward gave him a questioning look, he nodded knowingly in Bella's direction. "I'm sure it sucks to have to pretend, but if you guys are going to 'out' each other, don't do it here. You'll regret it later."

"Shut up, Em. No one is getting out'ed today," Edward assured him.

"Someone coming out of the closet?" Ben asked, walking over in time to hear Edward's comment. "Is it Mike?"

Edward laughed.

"Hey, maybe that's why he tries to be such a player," Emmett mused. "Overcompensating?"

"Nah," Ben shook his head. "He just wants Bella to get jealous about other girls. At least that is what Ang says. He's not _that_ bad."

"He's a prick!" Edward disagreed.

"Well, Rosalie seems to think that _you_ and Bella should be together."

"She said that?" Emmett asked while Edward stared at him in disbelief.

"Yeah. How fucking crazy is that? We all had a good laugh about it in the car on the way here." Ben smiled, "Not that we were laughing at your girlfriend, Emmett. We explained it to her."

"Explained what?" Edward asked.

"We explained why we were laughing," Ben told him. "Why you and Bella are the last two people on earth to want to be together."

"Right," Edward scowled.

"Sorry, dude. I didn't mean to piss you off. It was just funny."

"No, man, you didn't piss me off," Edward quickly tried to explain his strange behavior. "I was just thinking about… ah…. Lauren. She was being a bitch about Bella a few minutes ago. She's really annoying me, being all clingy and shit."

"Better you than me. Ever since I had to kiss her the other night at the party Angela's been mad at me. Like I'd ever want to kiss Lauren, or anyone else!"

"Maybe Edward can help you with that," Emmett volunteered.

Edward glared at his brother, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Come on, Ed, be a friend. If Lauren is hanging on you than Angela won't worry about her."

"She's already hanging on me!"

"Yeah, but you are pushing her away. Give her a little encouragement and Angela will cut Ben some slack."

"Fuck that! I'm not encouraging that slut!"

Ben nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Thanks, Emmett, but I can't ask Edward to do that. I mean, Lauren's got claws."

Emmett laughed. "Don't say that to Angela or she'll wonder how you know. But, seriously, it's not that big a deal. Come on, Edward. Be a friend. It won't kill you."

Something about the way Emmett was looking at him told Edward this was about more than helping Ben.

"Fine," he said reluctantly. "We can't have Fork's most perfect couple breaking up over a bitch like Lauren. But, if I help you out you will so owe me something huge later."

"Hey, thanks. If you get Lauren off my back I will come through for you any time," Ben had to reach up to slug Edward in the shoulder before walking off.

"Ok," Edward spoke low to Emmett. "So what was that all about?"

"Just helping you out, Bro. If you _weren't_ with Bella, you'd at least be checking out some girls today. So, you have to find someone to fake flirt with. Might as well be someone who deserves to be led on."

Edward made a gagging sound and rolled his eyes. "I do not flirt!"

"Do whatever you want, Bro. It was just a suggestion."

"Why do you think Rosalie said what she did?" Edward asked, not wanting to think about actually trying to get Lauren's attention.

"She calls it like she sees it. And she doesn't have any reason to doubt her eyes, like the rest of us. Like I said before, Bro, if you could _see_ the way you two look at each other…"

"Ok, I get it," Edward brushed him off. "All right. Damage control. I guess I've got a skank to find. This fucking sucks."

Edward stalked off after Lauren, trying his damnedest not to look in Bella's direction. He failed miserable, however, and caught her eyes following his every move. He smirked at her and called out to the girls settling onto the blanket near by.

"Hey, Jess! Are you and Lauren trying to get some sun?"

"Do you want to join us, Edward?" Lauren invited, and Jessica just giggled.

Edward put on his most charming grin as he sat down. He chanced a quick glance back in Bella's direction and saw her back turned while she was leaning closer to Mike. When had that fucker gone over to her again?

As Edward watched, Bella's hands moved to her hips and she stuck her thumbs in the back of her denim waist band, pulling it down slightly. She moved her head in Edward's direction and shot him a quick glance as she tugged the jeans just low enough to show a little skin. Edward groaned as Bella wiggled her hips once before turning away again.

"What's wrong with you?" Jessica asked with another giggle.

"Nothing," Edward mumbled. _Nothing except my ridiculously hot girlfriend reminding me that she isn't wearing panties. Fuck! _"So, did you both have fun at the party this weekend?"

"More fun than you, having to kiss shrew face," Lauren replied. "Right, Edward?"

"Hey, don't you two start on Bella," Jessica said with a nervous giggle this time. "I mean, she is my friend."

"Sorry, Jess," Edward said through clenched teeth. He would make Lauren pay for her remarks one day.

"Besides," Jessica continued. "You had to kiss Ben. You can't tell me that was much fun."

"Actually, Ben was kind of sweet," Lauren said, calculating. "I'm not sure Angela is right for him. I mean, they don't even _look_ good together."

"You don't think Ben is right for _you_? Do you?" Edward asked. Damn, was this bitch really playing this game? "I mean, you are the one who can do so much better, Lauren."

That last statement got the reaction Edward was hoping for. All thoughts of messing up Ben and Angela's relationship were gone from Lauren's head and her eyes glazed over as she looked up at him.

"And who would be good for me… Edward?" she purred.

Edward shrugged casually and let Lauren draw her own conclusions. Ben definitely owed him after this.

"I think I'll leave you two alone," Jessica said as she got up and walked over to where the rest of the girls were talking.

"Had enough bad company, Jess?" Bella asked as she approached.

"Well, I wasn't exactly hanging with the Bella Swan fan club over there," Jessica admitted.

Bella laughed without concern. "No, I don't imagine you were."

"Who would want Lauren as a fan?!" Angela suddenly snapped.

"Damn! Down, girl!" Alice said, placing a hand on Angela's shoulder. "You're the sweet one among us, remember?"

"I thought I was the sweet one!" both Bella and Jessica said at the same time and started laughing together.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't care. Lauren is just… terrible! And I know she is trying to get between Ben and me."

"Oh, come on," Alice chided. "She doesn't want to take Ben from you just because of a kissing game?"

"Well," Jessica looked down at her flip-flop as it skimmed the edge of the blanket. "She was actually talking about Ben just a second ago. But she might have just been…."

"I knew it!" Angela suddenly burst out. She pushed away from the others and started stalking towards the water.

"Ang, wait!" Bella said as she started after her.

"Nice going, Jess!" Alice snapped, following them.

"Hey, I thought she should know!" Jessica called after them, remaining where she was.

Bella caught up to Angela when she reached the bank. She had her back to the rest of the crowd and her arms folded across her chest. Bella could see that she was crying and didn't want to give Lauren the satisfaction of knowing.

"Come on, Hon. Let's take a walk." Bella coxed Angela, linking arms with her and turning her along the shore.

"I'm coming too!" Alice joined them, giving Angela an encouraging squeeze.

"Won't Jasper miss you?"

"Of course he will! But it will be good for him."

The three of them walked in silence for awhile, leaving the crowds and the noisy chatter behind as they followed a worn path along the curve of the lake.

"Feeling better?" Bella asked, peaking at Angela's face and determining that her tears had stopped.

Angela nodded. "I know I shouldn't let it get to me, but ever since I saw the two of them kissing…"

"But that wasn't real, Ang," Alice cut in insistently. "It was just a game."

"That's not how it looked. The two of them seemed really caught up in each other."

Alice laughed, "Yeah, but so did Bella and Edward!"

"Alice!" Bella snapped, feeling embarrassed and exposed.

"I guess I see your point," Angela replied, cracking a smile.

"Lauren goes after anything with a pulse," Bella explained quickly. "Ben is just her challenge of the minute. She's probably already moved on."

"And it's not as if Ben doesn't already know what Lauren is like," Alice joined in. "He's not going to play into her games. Not when he has you."

"Thanks," Angela smiled.

"Ready to head back?" Bella asked.

Before Angela could answer, Alice suddenly tugged on Bella's shoulder and pointed down the path. "Hey, Bells. Look!"

"What?"

"Over there, that group of guys heading this way," Alice explained. "Isn't that Jacob?"

Bella felt her chest tighten as she turned to look where Alice had indicated. She saw Jacob striding confidently in her direction about 20 yards away. A smug look crossed his face when she noticed him and she sucked in a harsh breath. She turned around quickly where she stood, desperate to get away from his stare.

Jacob was here! Jacob was coming towards her! She couldn't face him! She didn't want his eyes on her again! What if he tried to touch her? Why couldn't she breathe?

"Bella, what's wrong?" Angela looked confused.

"You're trembling!" Alice announced in alarm. "What the hell?"

Bella clutched herself around the middle in an attempt to strop the tremors running through her body. "Where's your brother?" she managed to choke out.

"Emmett? Why do you want…"

"No!" Bella snapped, tears now filling her eyes. "_Edward_! Where is Edward? "

"Huh?"

"I want Edward!"

* * *

_**I hope I didn't lose any of you with this long wait between chapters. I'd love it if you would review!**_

_**Happy Thanksgiving!**_

_**~Alexanya**_


	10. Friends and Enemies

**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**

**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**

**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**

* * *

Enemy Mine

Chapter Ten: "Friends and Enemies"

Bella clutched herself around the middle in an attempt to stop the tremors running through her body. "Where's your brother?" she managed to choke out.

"Emmett? Why do you want…?"

"No!" Bella snapped, tears now filling her eyes. "_Edward!_ Where is Edward? "

"Huh?"

"I want Edward!"

"Bella, what is wrong?" Angela asked, placing her hand on Bella's arm and glancing at Alice.

"Why do you want Edward?" Alice asked incredulously. "What did Edward do now?"

"Alice, she's really upset," Angela chided gently, noticing that Bella was still trembling and breathing in short pants. She tried to coax Bella to walk back the way they had come, but she seemed rooted in place and unable to move. "Bella, it's OK," Angela soothed calmly. "Do you want me to get Edward?"

Bella looked at Angela, silent tears now streaming down her face, and nodded. She didn't care at this moment how she looked or what they were thinking. All the feelings of being trapped and powerless under Jacob's hands were flooding back to her. She was scared to look in his direction and scared to move in case he would chase her. She knew it was irrational, but she felt terrified and sick. She needed Edward. That was all she could think of. She needed Edward.

"Please," Bella begged Angela in a shaky voice. "Please hurry."

Angela glanced once at Alice and took off running down the path. She didn't understand what was happening, but the details were not important to her. Something was wrong with her friend, very wrong. That's all she needed to know and, if getting Edward would help, then that's what she would do.

"Damn it, Emmett! You said you'd keep an eye on her for me."

Edward's voice reached Angela's ears from further down the path. She paused for a moment in surprise, and then hurried even faster towards him.

"Dude! You were there too," Emmett answered. "What are you worrying about? They probably just went for a walk."

"I was busy following _your_ brilliant plan! You should have been watching…."

"Fuck, Edward! Why are you freaking out?" Emmett bellowed just before both guys caught sight of Angela running towards them. Emmett noticed the frantic expression on her face and realized she looked as worried as Edward sounded. "Shit," he cursed, now worried himself. "What happened?"

Edward darted to Angela immediately. "Where's Bella?" he asked without explanation.

"She's really upset," Angela told him, accepting his urgency even if she didn't understand it. "I don't know why, but…"

"Where is she?" Edward asked again, already brushing passed her and heading further down the path.

"Just a little ways passed those trees," Angela called after him.

Emmett followed Edward, but paused long enough to point Angela back the way they had come. "Ben was looking for you," he told her quickly. "Just go back, but don't say anything." He didn't wait for an answer, knowing Angela wasn't one to gossip, and tried to catch up to this brother.

Edward was running now, dodging low hanging branches across the trail and not bothering to see if Emmett was following. He had known something was wrong when he realized Bella was gone. Maybe he was over-reacting, but he didn't care. Angela had just confirmed his fears and now, although he didn't know why, he knew Bella needed him.

As soon as they were past the trees he saw her. She was turned towards him, standing stiffly with her arms wrapped around her middle. Alice was hovering beside her and Bella was clearly upset. Edward paused for a second, trying to understand what had hurt her. Then he looked beyond the girls and saw the group of guys walking purposely in their direction. The tall one in the lead was unmistakable even without the white bandage covering his recently broken nose.

That son-of-a bitch! That fucking son-of-a-bitch!!!

How dare Jacob go anywhere near Bella after what he had tried to do to her. He was asking for an ass-kicking and he was going to get it this time!

Bella looked up just as Edward began to charge forward. She saw the murderous look in his eyes and instantly knew that he had seen Jacob too. Her panic level spiked! Edward was going to fight Jacob if she didn't do something fast. He could get hurt! Or Jacob could get him in real trouble with her dad. She couldn't let that happen to him.

"Edward, don't!" Bella moved quickly to step in front of him, blocking his path to Jacob. "Don't, don't, please, don't," she chanted nervously as she pressed her palms against chest.

Edward's hands dropped automatically to her hips and he glared at Jacob over the top of her head. He started to move forward again, but Bella pressed herself closer to halt his movement.

"Edward, please don't. Please!" she pleaded.

"What's wrong?" Emmett asked as he caught up with his brother. "Bella, are you OK?"

"Emmett, take Bella back to the picnic," Edward ordered harshly through gritted teeth. His eyes were still fixated on Jacob and his pals, not moving now but standing several feet down the path.

"No, Edward," Bella cried. "Please! Just take me home!"

"What the _hell_ is going on?" Alice snapped as she stepped closer and gaped at the two of them.

Bella ignored her and wrapped her arms tightly around Edward's waist. "I want to go home," she said as she started crying softly and buried her face in Edward's chest. "Please, Edward. Please, just take me home."

Edward gripped her shoulders, unsure if he was going to pull her against him and move her aside. He couldn't take his eyes off of the cocky bastard who had hurt her. He still wanted the chance to beat the shit out of Jacob, but Bella was clinging to him and he couldn't let her go.

"Would someone please tell me what the fuck is happening?" Alice demanded. "Bella, what is wrong with you?"

Bella cried openly against Edward now. "I just want to go home. Please, Edward. Please take me home. Please!"

Her tears made him soften and Edward finally pulled her close, stroking her hair soothingly. "OK," he told her gently, trying to mask the rage in his voice. She was more important than his need to pound on Jacob right now. He took a deep breath and kissed the top of her head. "It's OK, sweetheart. I'll take you home."

"Hey!" Alice yelled angrily. "Seriously, what the fuck…"

"Alice!" Emmett cut her off. "Just go back to the picnic and tell everyone that Bella got sick or something."

"Why should I ...?"

"Damn it, Alice." Emmett hissed. "Just do it!"

Alice's jaw dropped and she glared at all three of them. Emmett never snapped at her like that and she was pissed off that no one would explain this crazy shit.

"Fine!" she hissed back. "But this conversation isn't over!"

Emmett watched as Alice stormed off, but Bella and Edward barely noticed. Edward was clutching Bella to him almost fiercely now and he had a look in his eyes that could melt steal. Emmett followed his gaze and noticed the group of young men standing near by. There were three of them, all tall and well built, and all openly staring back at them.

"Bella, do you know those guys?" Emmett asked, trying to ferret out the situation. "Are they friends of yours?"

"Fuck, no!" Edward snapped.

Bella looked up just enough to see Emmett, but kept her arms around Edward's waist. "Are they still coming this way?" she asked him in a worried whisper.

Emmett was shocked by her question and the fact that she was clearly afraid.

Bella misunderstood his hesitation for conformation and turned back to Edward. "I don't want to see him!" she said in a panicked voice. "I don't want to hear his voice! Is Jacob coming closer?"

Edward held Bella even tighter and hunched himself around her. "No," he soothed in her ear. "Don't worry. I won't let that bastard near you."

"That's Jacob?" Emmett asked, taking a second look at the group. "Your dad's friend's…?"

"He's no friend!" Edward growled. "He's a fucking prick! They all are!"

"Whoa, taking it easy. What the hell happened?" Emmett held up his hands. He glanced down at Bella, clinging to Edward and trembling, then back at the young man with the bandaged nose leering at them. His blood suddenly felt cold. "What the fuck DID happen? Did that son-of-a-bitch….? Fuck! Did he do something?!"

Edward didn't answer, but he wouldn't deny it either. Emmett caught his eye and understood the furry he saw. His jaw clenched and his breath blew through his nose like a caged bull.

"He tried," Bella's muffled voice cut through the silence, her face still pressed into Edward's shirt.

"He what?! " Emmett barked, "He fucking…. He… Are you…? Damn it!" He glared accusingly at his brother. "You knew about this? You didn't do anything? How could you let that fucker go on breathing?"

"Who the hell do you think broke his nose?" Edward yelled back.

Emmett stopped in shock for a moment and took another look at the tall boy with the white bandage. He was extremely fit and much larger than Edward. He looked like a fighter too. "Damn," he muttered, clearly impressed. "Nice job, dude."

"Edward stopped him," Bella explained. "He protected me."

"I'll always protect you," Edward murmured against her hair.

"But I don't want you to fight Jacob anymore. It will only get you in trouble. Please! I don't want you in trouble. I just want to go home with you."

"Then let me take a swing at him," Emmett offered eagerly. "I'd like to break a few facial bones myself."

"You and me both!" Edward agreed.

"No, that's what he wants," Bella told them. She looked up at Edward and began to urge him backwards. "Let's just get out of here. Let's just go home."

"Hey, Bella!" Jacob's mocking voice suddenly called out.

In a purely reflex action, Bella glanced over her shoulder towards the sound of her name. Before she could think to look away, Jacob blew her a kiss and winked at her. She gasped as if he had physically struck her and felt sick enough to vomit.

"I'm gonna kill him!" Edward spat as he moved passed Bella too quickly for her to block him.

"Edward!" she called, grabbing his arm at the last second. "Please don't! I need you with me!"

Her words stopped him but it took several deep breaths to control his rage before he could turn back to her. Her pale face had gone even whiter as she moved forward to step into his arms again. He shielded her from Jacob's view with his body and spoke to Emmett through gritted teeth.

"Now's not the time," he told him in frustration. "As much as I want to…"

"No, you're right. Just get Bella out of here. We'll deal with that prick later."

Edward nodded and began guiding Bella back down the path keeping her tightly within the circle of his arms. "Shhh…. It's OK, baby," he coxed her. "I've got you."

Emmett followed them until they were almost back at the picnic spot. Just before they were in view of the others, he pointed to a side path through the trees. "That's a short cut to the parking lot," he told them. "With any luck you can get to the Volvo without being seen. Don't worry, Alice and I will make up some excuse."

"Thanks, Em," Edward nodded to him.

"Fuck, bro! You should have told me what was going on." He looked down at Bella and sighed, "But, I guess I get it. Just watch yourself."

Edward nodded again and pulled Bella down the side path with him. When they got to his car she seemed reluctant to let go of him.

"Bella, I'm right here," he assured her as he eased her into the passenger seat. "I just want to get you in before Jessica or someone comes over. I promise, we'll be out of here in less than a minute."

Edward dashed around the car and jumped in the driver's seat, barely closing the door before backing the car out.

"Are you OK?" he asked Bella as he pulled onto the highway.

She sniffed and nodded her head before leaning over the console to lay her cheek on his arm.

"Thank you for not fighting Jacob," she told him.

Edward moved his hand to her thigh in a comforting gesture. "It's probably not a good thing for you to figure out I basically can't say 'no' to you," he teased.

Bella smiled and rubbed her face against the material on his sleeve. "I'm sorry the day is ruined."

"What are you talking about? It's only mid afternoon and we are alone together. How can that be bad?"

"You're right," Bella agreed quietly, laying her head in his lap just below the steering wheel. "This is good."

Edward moved his hand to her shoulder and they both fell silent. The hum of the car was steady in an almost hypnotic way. Bella closed her eyes and tried to keep her body from trembling as her adrenaline started to slow. Edward was sweet and understanding, but she couldn't believe she had fallen apart on him again. She had told him before that she couldn't handle seeing Jacob again right now and, apparently, she had been right. She didn't handle it at all. She freaked out. Even now she wanted to keep crying and clinging to him like a baby. She just wanted to bury herself against him and hide from everything. Because, as irrational as it seemed, she knew this shit was not over.

It was some time later when the movement of the car stopped slowly and Edward's hand lifted from her shoulder to push the remote clipped to the visor.

"My mom's car is gone again," Edward announced as the garage door opened with a grating sound. "Good. We won't have to make up an excuse for leaving the picnic early."

Bella continued to rest her head in his lap as he eased into the empty garage and turned the engine off. Since she didn't make any indication of moving, he sat in silence with her and stroked her hair gently.

"Jacob is dangerous, you know," she whispered quietly.

Edward wondered if that was what she had been thinking about during the quiet drive. Did she think he didn't realize that bastard could have really hurt her? That he was still capable of hurting her?

"I won't let him near you, sweetheart. I promise."

"It's more than just that, though. This was about more than just a… a crush on me." She sat up and looked at Edward. "He has a mean streak in him. I see that now. He can be cruel and he… he scares me."

Edward cupped her face, "Let Emmett and I take care of him."

"He'll expect that. I don't know how I know, I just do." Bella shook her head, her eyes watering again but she fought the tears back. "I really don't want you to do anything just yet. Please. I mean it. I know it will go badly if you do."

"Bella, I'm not just going to stand back watching him harass and terrify you like this."

"Edward…" she turned her lips into his palm and kissed it. "Edward," she said again and sighed.

The sadness on her face killed him. He'd never felt so consumed by the need to protect someone in his life. How could anyone or anything want to hurt someone so precious? Damn, he really had it bad!

"Let's just go in the house and try to relax for awhile, OK?" he suggested softly and pressed his forehead to hers.

She nodded and watched as he got out of the car, opening her own door and walking over to take his hand. The house was quiet and the light dim when they walked into the kitchen. All the groceries had been put away and the stillness made it clear they were alone.

"I don't suppose you are hungry?" Edward asked.

Bella smiled. She had noticed that Edward always asked her that when he was worried about her and didn't know what to do. Without saying a word she shook her head no and started walking backwards toward the dinning room, tugging on his hand to make him follow.

Edward gripped her hand and let her lead him. He wore a confused expression but kept his mouth shut. She pulled him through the dinning room and into the living room beyond where she finally stopped in front of the couch. Edward looked down at her expectantly and she gently pushed him back to sit. He laughed a little as Bella continued to press on his shoulders until he was lying back against the arm of the sofa. Once she was satisfied with his position, she lowered herself to the couch with him, sprawling across his chest and nestling her face into his neck.

Edward chuckled contently and wrapped both his arms around her. "Comfy, baby?" he asked.

Bella nodded without a sound and settled even more deeply against him.

They lay together quietly for a long while, each lost in their own thoughts and the comfort of each other's body. Edward occasionally reached up to stroke her cheek or kiss her forehead, and Bella would run her fingers along his chest lazily and snuggle against him. Neither one knew how much time had passed when the sound of the garage door opening disrupted their peaceful setting.

Bella sat up slowly, giving Edward a concerned look.

He sighed in irritation. Couldn't they just fucking _be_ together for one hour without the constant interruptions?

"If it's my parents, the story is we both got sick at the picnic and came home to sleep it off," he instructed.

Bella nodded.

Edward sat up reluctantly, forcing Bella to move off of him. His body instantly felt cold at the loss of her contact. Maybe they could both make an excuse for napping upstairs before dinner and sneak some more cuddle time.

"Just stay in here, sweetheart. You can lie back down," Edward leaned forward to give her a soft kiss. "I'll try to get everyone to leave you alone."

"Everyone but you?" she asked hopefully, with a small smile. It was the first time she had spoken since they had entered the house and he knew how hard she was trying to be strong about everything. That's just the way she was and it was kind of incredible.

Yup, he definitely had it bad!

Edward quickly kissed her again and returned her smile. Getting up from the sofa he left the room and made his way into the kitchen just as Alice and Emmett came in from the garage, both frowning and clearly pissed off.

"What are you guys doing back here?" Edward asked. "I thought you were staying at the lake for a bond fire."

Alice gave him an irritated look and waved her arm towards the window. "Take a look outside, genius!" she sneered. "It's kind of hard to have a bond fire in a rain storm?"

Edward turned his head towards the window, realizing for the first time how dark it had gotten. The unusual heat had brought on a spring storm and the dark clouds outside had started to pour. Typical Washington State weather.

"It came on pretty fast not long after you left," Emmett explained, shaking out a hastily folded blanket so it could dry. "We had to grab stuff and haul ass to the cars."

"Guess I didn't notice," Edward shrugged before turning back to Alice. "No reason for you to be so snippy, though. What's with the attitude?"

Alice rolled her eyes and set the bag she was carrying down on the counter. "Let's see," she started sarcastically. "Not only is the picnic ruined because we have to live in the wettest damn place in the world, but Bella had to throw some kind of crazy fit earlier and still no one will tell me what the hell it was all about."

Emmett sighed loudly. "She's been a little dramatic about the whole thing since you guys took off."

"I'm not the dramatic one!" Alice declared, her voice growing louder. "Bella is the one who's been acting up. And where is she, anyway? We have a conversation to finish."

"Shh!" Edward shushed her harshly. "She's resting in the living room. Just leave her alone for a little while."

Alice's eyes grew wide as she stared at him. "Don't hush me, Edward! And mind your own business!"

"Alice, I'm serious," Edward snapped back. "Just let Bella rest for awhile. She doesn't need your nagging right now."

"Butt out, Edward! This is between me and Bella. It doesn't concern you."

"Like hell, it doesn't!"

"What is your fucking problem?" Alice stepped squarely in front of him and placed her hands on her hips.

"She's been through enough today and I'm not going to let you upset her again." Edward matched her glare. "I mean it, Al! Back the fuck off and leave her alone!"

Alice's eyes narrowed in irritation. "I was there today, remember? What the hell did Bella go through that was so traumatizing? You're not even making sense." Alice turned to walk out of the room but Edward stopped her.

"Where are you going?" he demanded, grabbing her by the arm.

Alice shook him off. "I told you I'm going to talk to Bella."

"I told you to leave her the hell alone! I mean it, Alice. I won't let you upset her right now."

"You won't _let _me?" Alice just gapped at him. "Are you insane? Since when do you give a shit about Bella?"

" Hey!" Edward snapped defensively.

"What? It's true!" Alice snapped back. "You don't give a damn about Bella and you know it."

"That's not true! I care about Bella a hell of a lot more than you seem to."

"Fuck off! She's _my_ best friend!"

"Well, she's my _girlfriend!_"

"What!?" Alice shouted loudly and her mouth hung opened wide.

"You heard me!" Edward shouted back. He didn't care anymore what she thought and couldn't remember why he had cared before.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Alice asked, clearly not believing a word he was saying. "Stop being an ass, Edward. I'm not in the mood for your teasing."

"I'm not teasing, Alice. I'm fucking serious," Edward told her in a firm voice. "Bella is my girlfriend and I'm tried of watching you treat her like this."

"You're a jerk, Edward, you know that!" Alice yelled back at him. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but you're completely nuts if you think I'm going to fall for this shit! Bella is _not_ your girlfriend!"

"Yes I am," Bella said softly, suddenly appearing in the kitchen doorway.

Three heads turned to stare at her.

"Bella?" Alice questioned after a moment.

"I am, Alice." Bella insisted again, walking into the room and putting her arm around Edward's waist. She looked up at him, their eyes locking for a moment as he slipped his arm around her shoulders. "Edward and I are together," she explained simply.

Edward smiled. He couldn't help himself! Just hearing her say it out loud felt so fucking good. Damn if he wasn't almost beaming just looking at her.

"Shut up!" Alice rolled her eyes. "The day you two hook up is the day the Pacific runs dry."

"They're not messing with you, Alice," Emmett put in quietly, trying to defuse the situation as much as possible. "I know it's hard to believe, but they are serious."

Alice just looked at him skeptically.

"Trust me!" Emmett told her. "If you'd seen the shit I've seen…. Well, just trust me. They aren't faking."

Alice looked back at Edward and Bella, their arms still wrapped around each other. "You're serious," she stated in shock. "You're fucking serious! You two are... are… _together_?!"

Bella nodded. "Al, I'm sorry for keeping it to myself but I didn't know how to tell you," she said nervously. "I mean, I tried! I swear I tried to talk to you about me and Edward, but it was never the right time or we got interrupted or …"

"You and Edward," Alice repeated. "You and _Edward???_ There is a fucking 'you and Edward' to talk about?!!!"

Bella bit her bottom lip and nodded. In spite of the fact Alice was clearly pissed, she liked hearing someone else say it. _Her and Edward_. Just thinking the words made a grin pull at the corners of her mouth.

She put her other arm around Edward's waist to hug him a little closer. "I know it's a lot to take in," she continued gently. "And I understand it's a bit strange for you. But I'm really glad you know about it finally. I wanted you to know."

"Liar!" Alice screamed sharply.

Bella's face fell. "What?" she stammered.

"You are a fucking LIAR, Isabella Swan!" Alice screamed again. "If you wanted me to know you would have told me! But you've been lying to my face for who-the-hell-knows how long!"

"Alice it wasn't like that…."

"Bull shit! It was exactly like that!"

"Hold on a second!" Edward jumped in, "Alice, just calm down!"

"You shut up!" Alice pointed at Edward. "I don't want to hear _anything_ from you! You are just as big a liar as she is!"

"Alice, I wanted to tell you…"

"Bella, you could have told me at any time. I mean, hell, in the car today we were even talking about you and Edward!"

"Oh come on, Al! Like I wanted to blurt it out in front of Angela and Ben! Especially when they were laughing about the idea."

"Well, you could have said something before we picked them up. Or in my room earlier…"

"How was I supposed to tell you when you wouldn't shut up about Jasper?" Bella yelled back, getting angry herself now. "You've had your head so wrapped up in Jasper-this and Jasper-that. How the fuck was I even suppose to get a word in?"

"Believe me, Bella. If you had just uttered the words, 'I'm dating your brother,' I would have fucking heard you."

"Really?" Bella snapped. "Because I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have. It's not like you've heard a damn thing I've tried to say all week."

"I've heard plenty!" Alice yelled back. "I've heard you call Edward an ass and a troll. I've heard you say you hope he stays away from us. I've heard you say he should date Lauren. Oh, and let me see. I think you referred to him as that obnoxious prick at least once or twice. What was all that, _Bella_? Foreplay?"

Bella looked at Alice, stunned. Did everyone think she was some kind of tease? Did Alice really think she'd just lead Edward on and sleep with him for kicks?

Edward saw the hurt expression on Bella's face and realized where her mind had gone. "Damn it, Alice! Shut up!" he yelled. His sister hadn't meant it that way, but he knew Bella was still raw from her father's accusations. "You are going way too far here and you need to back off!" he told her.

"I've gone too far?" Alice yelled back. "You two are the ones lying and pretending. I actually felt bad that you two had to kiss at the party. Really bad! No wonder you _forgave_ me so easily. Ha! I did you a favor but you let me feel bad about it! Why would you do that to me?"

"Maybe this isn't about you, Alice!"

"My brother and my best friend sneaking around behind my back? That's not supposed to concern me?" Alice pointed to Emmett and shouted back at Edward, "You told Emmett, but you lied to me. That must be about me!"

"They didn't tell me shit, Alice," Emmett explained. "I figured it out on my own."

"What do you mean you figured it out?" Alice looked at Emmett doubtfully. "How?"

"Because he was paying attention to someone besides himself!" Bella snapped again, dropping her arms and taking a step towards Alice. "We _couldn't_ hide it from Emmett because he noticed all the little things between us. Hell, even Rosalie was starting to figure it out and she doesn't even really know us. Maybe the real question is how did you _not_ see it, Alice?"

"Oh, so it is MY fault! I should have just guessed that after 10 years of being enemies you two decided to get hot and heavy with each other?" Alice glared at Bella. "Maybe I actually thought better of my BFF than to go after my own brother!"

Edward opened his mouth to shut his sister up but before he could say anything Bella took a deep breath and screamed at her.

"Damn it, Alice! This isn't about you!" Bella clenched her fists at her sides. "What is between me and Edward is none of your fucking business! This is about _us!_ He and I. It is not about you and we don't owe you any explanations!"

"Fine!" Alice screamed back, so upset that there were tears in her eyes. "You two be together! I don't give a fuck! But I'm not going to let you use me as an excuse to see each other! You were supposed to be spending Spring Break with me, but you clearly just want to be here for Edward. So I don't want you here any more!"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, go home, Bella. I'm uninviting you to stay here this week."

"Alice! You can't do that, come on," Emmett jumped in.

"What?" Alice said defensively. "All she would say at the lake today is that she wanted to go home. So, go home!"

"Damn it, Alice!" Emmett glared.

"No, its fine, Emmett," Bella sounded calm but Edward stepped forward to wrap his arm around her from behind. "I want to go home," she said, looking over her shoulder at Edward.

"Baby, I don't like you staying alone," Edward said softly.

Alice made a gagging sound. "This is more than I can fucking take!" she announced.

"You know what, Alice?" Bella looked back at her, shaking her head. "You need to grow up!" Alice opened her mouth to say something in retort, but Bella held up her hand. "No," she said. "I'm done listening to you. If you ever feel like _listening_ to _me_, you can let me know." Turning her back on Alice, she laid her cheek on Edward's chest. "Please take me home, Edward," she whispered into his shirt as he pulled her against him. "I'll get my stuff later, I just want to leave now."

Alice stormed out of the kitchen without another word and they listened to her usually light feet pound loudly on the stairs.

Emmett sighed as he locked eyes with Edward. Both brothers knew they were having the same thought; that this was the last fucking thing Bella needed right now. "Just take Bella home and stay with her, dude," he said, watching as Edward tried to sooth her. "I'll cover for you somehow. And I'll make damn sure Alice keeps her mouth shut too."

Edward nodded, "Thanks."

"Take care of her," Emmett said, returning his nod.

Bella raised her head to give him a weak smile. "Thanks, Em. I mean it," she said, fighting back the tears. She didn't want to fall apart again until they were out of the house. She was sick of crying and sick of feeling so vulnerable. She took the initiative and grabbed Edward's hand, starting the two of them towards the garage door.

"Are you sure?" Edward asked as he followed her. "You really don't have to leave, you know. My mother would…"

"I'm sure," Bella insisted, trying to be strong. She squeezed Edward's hand and gave him a sly look. "Besides, we're not really going to walk away from a chance to be all alone in an empty house, are we?"

Edward missed a step on the way out the door.

* * *

**_Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I'm sorry that I needed a break, but I have my mojo back now ;)_**

**_Thanks!_**

**_~Alexanya_**


	11. Alone Time

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

* * *

Enemy Mine

Chapter Eleven: "Alone Time"

Edward missed a step on the way out the door.

After all of this crap, they were finally going to be alone together. Damn, it had turned out to be a hell of a day, he thought as they walked into the garage. He raised their hands to his lips and kissed Bella's fingers.

"Everything is going to be OK, baby," he told her, knowing that he'd make it so one way or another.

"When did you get to be such an optimist?" Bella teased lightly as she let go of his hand to move around the car. She was not going to break down on him again. Not when he was trying so hard to make her feel better.

Edward grinned at her over the top of the Volvo. "Since I, apparently, have this incredibly sexy girlfriend," he told her.

Bella smiled, a real smile this time, and slid into the passenger seat. Edward got in on his side and started up the car, grumbling under his breath about Emmett leaving the garage door open. The rain started peppering against the windows as soon as Edward backed the car out and Bella noticed for the first time that the sky was gray and dark.

"So," she began as they pulled out onto the road. "Girlfriend, huh?"

Edward looked at her curiously.

"I did hear you correctly in the kitchen, right?" Bella went on. "This incredibly sexy girlfriend that you speak of, would you be referring to me?"

"Well," Edward responded. "You are incredibly sexy."

Bella turned in her seat so she could see him easier. "And…" she prodded.

Edward ran his hand through his hair and his eyes tightened up briefly. "Maybe I shouldn't have said it like that?" he said, he mood suddenly changing.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, her body tensing up in response.

Edward reached over and grabbed her hand again. "No, no baby, not the incredibly sexy part because, damn, you are that! I meant with Alice in the kitchen. Shit! I just realized I blurted everything out without even asking you first."

"You mean calling me your girlfriend?"

"Yeah," Edward said in frustration. "Fuck! What a jerk I am!"

"What? No, Edward, you're not!"

"We talked about why we were going to keep things quiet. I mean, we agreed to at least not say anything while you were staying here this week and I just go blurting it out because I was pissed at Alice." Edward shook his head. "I'm a horrible boyfriend."

"Edward, stop. You aren't," Bella told him. "And I like the sound of that, by the way."

"What?"

"Boyfriend."

"I did it again," Edward shook his head. "Blurted it out, I mean."

Bella giggled slightly and kissed the back of his hand. "No, I'm glad you said it. Both times!" she admitted. "Actually, I almost told Alice this morning in her room and I didn't even think that I should have talked to you about it first. So, you have nothing to feel guilty about."

"I guess we are both new to this," Edward agreed as he turned his head to give her a wicked smile. "Bella?" he drawled out seductively, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Bella laughed. "If you'll be my boyfriend, Edward," she cooed back in a soft voice and laughed more.

Once again he had managed to make her laugh when she had been about to cry. How did he do that?

"I've never been a boyfriend before," Edward warned her. "I might suck at it."

"You don't suck at it," Bella assured him. "But you need to hurry up and get us to my house."

"Why?"

"Because your girlfriend is in desperate need of her boyfriend's lips on her mouth," Bella told him in a serious tone.

"Just her mouth?" Edward smirked.

"Hmmm…." Bella moved her other hand to his thigh. "Drive faster."

Edward pushed the accelerator to the floor and Bella laughed even harder.

They pulled up to the Swan house a little while later. Bella had managed to work her hand underneath Edward's shirt but he had stopped her after nearly running a red light.

"I thought we'd never fucking get here," Edward sighed when he parked the car in the driveway. "Oh shit, please tell me you brought your key because I'm pretty sure I wouldn't survive the drive back to get it."

"You can relax, boyfriend. We still keep a spare one under the eves."

"Damn, I really like how you say that word?" Edward confessed.

"You like how I say 'eves'?" she teased. "Boyfriend, you are a strange one."

Edward laughed. "Get out of the car, you shrew. Shit, we need umbrellas."

Bella jumped out of the car and tried to shield her face from the rain as she ran through the muddy lawn. Edward followed behind her to the shelter of the porch and shook the water from his bronze hair.

"Who lives in Washington and doesn't keep an umbrella in their car?" Bella asked retrieving the key to unlock the door.

"I'm a rebel," Edward explained as they darted inside and shut the door against the storm.

The house was dark and quiet except for the soft pattering of the rain outside. Bella left the lights off and started backing into the living room.

"Rebels are hot!" she declared with a smoky look in her eyes.

Edward stalked towards her and swept his hand behind her neck, tilting her head back. The stillness of the house seemed to emphasize that they were alone. It made his blood pumped even faster and he would swear he saw Bella's pulse beating in her neck.

"I need your mouth," Bella whispered before he could even speak.

Edward pulled her face up to his and pressed his opened mouth against hers, flooding their senses with the taste of each other.

Bella moaned and moved her lips urgently against his. Their tongues met in the middle and stroked each other. Fuck! The sensation was amazing. She felt Edward's hand on her ass, lifting her slightly so their pelvises rubbed together. He was already growing hard and she rotated her hips to get more friction against that hardness. The sweet warmth between her legs was building into a fire. It blocked out anything and everything that was happening in her life except what was happening between them.

Edward moved his hand down the back of her thigh and hitched her leg partly around his hip. This opened her up further and he pressed himself firmly between her legs. He waited to gauge her response but when she cried out his name in a moan he decided to continue grinding himself against her heat. Bella's arms clung to his shoulders now and she was panting in soft cries that he wasn't even sure she knew she was making. Holy shit, those sounds turned him on!

Their lips came together again and again in almost desperate kisses. Even when they paused to breath they didn't move their mouth apart.

"Can't keep my fucking hands off of you," Edward mumbled as he slid his fingers under her shirt.

Bella whimpered and dragged her mouth along his jaw to his ear. "Closer," she breathed. "I need to be closer to you… its never close enough…"

Edward gripped her ass again and lifted her up. She instantly wrapped her legs around him and squeezed them tight, pressing their bodies together. Moving across the room he carried her to the couch and sat down so she was straddling him. Bella took advantage of this position and rocked against him, rubbing their chests together, their stomachs, their lower bodies, creating friction against where she ached the most. Edward's hands were still on her ass and he began moving with her, pushing and pulling her hips, feeling himself growing harder with every thrust.

Bella tilted her head back and moaned. Her whole body felt like it was pulsing and when Edward lowered his mouth to her breast to kiss her nipple through her shirt it sent shock waves all the way down to her toes.

Edward could feel her nipple hardening against his mouth, but the barrier to her skin frustrated him. As if she could sense what he needed, Bella began to slowly slip her shirt over her head. Edward stared, mesmerized, as Bella's pale flesh came into view, her breasts covered by a soft, white bra with tiny pink roses all over it. It looked sweet and innocent and so fucking hot he nearly lost it right there.

"I swear you are going to be the death…." Edward's words were cut off as Bella slammed her mouth back onto his.

They kissed each other long and hard, their lips never parting as their tongues explored each other's mouths. The cotton of her bra was soft beneath his fingers as he stroked her breasts, making her whimper. He drew his hands around her bare back and slipped them down the waistband of her jeans, chuckling against her lips when he encountered smooth cotton.

"So you _are _wearing panties," he said.

"Hmmm… for now at least," Bella leaned down and kissed his neck just behind his ear. "Why? You want to do something about it?" she teased.

Edward groaned and tossed her playfully down on the couch. She laughed as her back bounced against the cushions. Edward immediately leaned over to taste the bare skin on her flat stomach and Bella began to pull at his shirt to get it over his head. Edward raised his face just enough to assist her and tossed the shirt to the floor. Bella ran her hands over his smooth back as he lowered her mouth to her stomach again. He traced her navel with his tongue and peppered kisses along her hipbone.

"Edward, that tickles," Bella giggled and squirmed when his silky hair brushed against her sensitive skin. She sifted her fingers through the copper strands, pulling slightly and biting her lip to keep from laughing.

"Do they match?" Edward asked as his mouth lingered at the button of her jeans.

"Does what match?"

Edward's green eyes sparkled as he looked up at her. "Do your panties match that cute little bra you are wearing?"

Bella raised a surprised eye at him.

"Because if they do," Edward went on. "I may have to prepare myself for the sexiest damn site I'll ever see."

Bella continued to bite her lip, wondering how much she should tease him. He made her feel so fucking bold. So confident and…safe.

She raised herself up on her elbows, "Sexier than if I wasn't wearing any panties?"

Edward groaned in defeat and collapsed on her stomach causing Bella to giggle some more.

The phone rang and they both groaned.

"Don't worry," Bella told Edward as she went back to playing with his hair. "The machine will get it. I'm not even supposed to be here."

"_You've reached the Swan residence,"_ Charlie's voice came through the speaker on the answering machine after the third annoying ring. _"Please leave a message after the beep."_

"I can't believe your dad still uses that old thing. Why doesn't he get voice mail?" Edward mumbled into her stomach without raising his head.

"Better yet, why doesn't he get a cell phone like everyone else?" Bella asked in return. "If he would get a cell…"

The machine beeped and Bella's comment was cut off by the sound of a gruff voice leaving a message.

"_Charlie! I know you aren't home yet, but I need you to call me as soon as you get in."_

Bella sat up abruptly and Edward raised his head to look at her.

"That's Billy," she told him, sliding back against the arm of the couch. "That's Jacob's dad."

"_There is a situation, Charlie, and I don't think it's a good one. You need to know about it and I'm sorry that that I have to bother you with it as soon as you get home. Just, call me, will ya? I'll be in all night. Thanks."_

"What situation?" Edward asked incredulously as if the machine could answer him.

"What is he talking about?" Bella wondered, shaking her head. "This couldn't be about Jacob, could it?"

"I don't know. Maybe that asshole said something about what happened at the lake."

"Oh, shit! Billy could tell my dad that I was with you! Who knows how Jacob would make it sound."

"Maybe you should call your dad."

"What? No!"

Edward was a little shocked at Bella's forceful reply.

"Bella, I just meant maybe you two should try talking again now that he's had some time to calm down," Edward explained gently. "Try to defuse things before they get back to town."

Bella was shaking her head before Edward could even finish.

"OK," Edward sat up straighter and Bella pulled her knees to her chest. "What about talking to your mom instead?"

"No!" she replied harshly again. "No, Edward! I am not calling them. I'm not going to bug them with this again."

"Bug them?"

"This is _their_ time," Bella went on insistently. "It's bad enough Billy had to call my dad after the barbecue and put him in a foul mood. I can't go dragging my mother into this too."

"Baby, listen to yourself," Edward tried to keep his tone calm and he put his hand on the top of her knees.

"What?"

"You don't want to _bug_ them? Or _drag_ your mother into this? Bella, this is serious. You were threatened and hurt! It's not like you are burdening your parents about breaking a nail."

Bella was shaking her head again. "But this trip is important for them. And it is important that they don't get upset or fight."

"Why?"

"It just is, Edward! Would you drop it?!" Bella put her hands over her mouth as soon as she realized she was yelling. The tears started immediately after. Damn it! She'd been trying so hard not to get emotional again and all corking her feelings did was cause her to snap at him. What was wrong with her?

Edward stared at her silently, a little stunned by her outburst and more than a little concerned about her crying again.

"I'm sorry," Bella gasped when she removed the hand from her mouth. She crawled into his lap, straddling him again, and tried to wrap him in a hug. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Edward," she repeated again his neck.

Edward put his arms around her slowly and pulled her against him. He sighed, and lay his chin down on her shoulder. "I know, Bella. It's OK," he told her softly. "I just want to make things better for you and I don't know how," he admitted in frustration.

Bella pressed her body closer to his and let him rock her gently. Their upper bodies were flush against each other's. She could feel his firm chest against her breasts and his toned abs against her flat stomach. Suddenly she realized exactly what she wanted.

"I know how," she said, still talking into his neck.

"How I can make things better? Tell me."

Bella pulled back just far enough to rest her forehead against his. "Take me upstairs," she whispered shyly, almost as a question.

Neither of them spoke as Edward's hand came up to caress Bella's cheek. He raised her chin so he could look into her eyes and she stared back at him. There was no doubt or fear on her face, just desire and trust.

Edward stood up with Bella still in his arms_._ She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tightly as he walked them both to the stairs. Her legs gripped his waist and his hand gripped her ass firmly while his other hand was on her back pressing them closely together. Bella breathed against his shoulder contently as he carried her up the steps to her room. It had been a few years since he had been on this floor of the Swan house, but he hadn't forgotten. The door just to the left was hers and it was slightly ajar. Edward pushed it open with his foot and carried her inside.

The room had subtle differences but hadn't changed much since they were kids. A new computer now sat on the desk to the left of the bed and the bed was no longer covered in a mountain of stuffed animals. Unlike Alice's room, there weren't any clothes strewn about, just a few books on the floor near the rocking chair. The curtains were still the same sheer lace that let in just a touch of the early evening light.

Moving further into the room, Edward set Bella gently on the bed. It was cleanly made and covered in a soft purple comforter he had never seen before. She released her hold on him and scooted over so she could pull him down with her.

"They do, by the way," Bella stated as she lay back on the pillows.

Edward settled on his side, hovering over her. "Do what?" he asked as they kissed gently, both relaxing into the bed.

"They match," she said against his lips.

When he pulled back to look at her, Edward saw that she had undone her pants to reveal soft, white cotton with little pink roses peeking out from between her legs.

"Holy fuck," he breathed in awe.

The look of lust in his eyes did amazing things to her and Bella pulled him down, demanding another kiss. Edward didn't hesitate but kissed her passionately, both of them moaning with need.

Bella felt more of his weight on her as he shifted closer and began to stroke her sides. When his hand reached her hip she bent her knee to give him better access to the rest of leg. He caressed her slowly, coming up the back of her leg and teasing the inside of her thigh. She rolled over to face him, never breaking their kiss, and draped her leg over his. They thrust their tongues in and out of each other's mouths and rocked their bodies together in sync until they were both panting.

Bella felt the bulge in Edward's pants growing insistently. She wanted to feel it, to know its shape and size for herself. Never having done anything like this before, she was unsure and nervous. Her hand moved down Edward's back slowly until her fingers were skimming against his ass. She heard Edward moan as she stroked him there and his muscled tightened at her touch. She continued to trail them around his hip until she reached his hip bone. He stiffened, acutely aware of where her hand was, but Bella wasn't deterred. She brought her feather like touch across the front of his jeans and brushed her fingers down the length of his zipper. His heat was radiating through the denim and she felt him grow even harder and twitch slightly at her touch. That startled her briefly and she froze in her movements.

"Bella," Edward panted breathlessly, "You don't have to…"

"Shhh…" she whispered back without looking at him. "Let me."

Before Edward could respond, Bella began to lightly stroke him through his jeans. He was larger than she had expected, from what she could feel through the material, and so hard. She could feel Edward breathing harshly against her hair as she continued exploring his shape. She knew it felt good, what she was doing. She might be inexperienced, but she knew a guy would enjoy being touched there. But it wasn't enough. She wanted to make him feel as wonderful and special as he made her feel.

Edward seemed to know what she was thinking and moved his mouth to taste her ear before speaking softly. "All I want is you, Bella. And whatever you want."

She rubbed him harder and moved her hand to undo the button of his jeans.

Edward gasped and grabbed her hand gently.

"I hate the thought of hurting you," he said suddenly.

That stopped her, and she lay back against the pillows to look at him.

"Hurting me?" she asked gently in confusion. "Edward, you'd never hurt me."

Edward stared back at Bella, his expression a mix of passion and anxiety, and comprehension dawned on her. She was a virgin. They both were. The first time would certainly hurt for her, and he wasn't experienced to know how to lessen the pain.

The most powerful emotion she had ever felt welled up inside of her as she understood his fear. He cared so much! No one else had ever cared so much about her before! Her hands cupped his face as she looked up at him, just staring in wonder. For all his lusting and teasing, he was scared of hurting her. She had to fight to hold back her tears.

"It's OK," she told him, pulling his face closer to hers. "We'll do this together."

Edward kissed her and released the passion he'd been holding at bay. His need for her was so great he thought it might consume him. His lips forced her mouth opened wider and he heard her cry out in pleasure as he sucked her tongue deep into his mouth.

Her hand went back to rubbing him through his jeans, harder now, her fingers trying to grip his shape through the denim. She whimpered into his mouth when she couldn't speak, trying to get him to grasp her need to touch him. He finally understood and reached his hand down to help her undo the button. Her fingers fumbled at his zipper until she'd opened it up and she instantly felt his heat through his boxers. Edward shifted, and her hand found its way inside the opening.

They both broke their kiss and groaned loudly.

Bella held his solid length in her hand. Without looking down, she slowly stroked her fingers up and down to feel every shape and texture. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but it wasn't this. She hadn't expected it to feel so warm and smooth, like hot satin over marble. She hadn't expected to enjoy the feeling of touching him and want to feel the friction of her hand against him.

She realized that she could no longer hear or feel Edward's harsh breathing, so she glanced up at his face. His eyes were squeezed together and his jaw locked intensely. He looked like he was in pain, but Bella knew better. She knew he was trying to keep his control, which meant he must be enjoying her hand on him.

"Is this good?" she asked softly as her fingers trailed a circle around the tip. She knew it was, but she wanted to hear him say it.

When he didn't answer her, she closed her hand around him with just a little squeeze and ran her thumb over the tip several times.

"Bella!" Edward cried out loudly and rolled over onto his back.

"Is that a yes?"

"Fuck!" he cursed instead, seeming unable to give an answer.

Bella smiled at his reaction and took the chance to look at him for the first time. He looked even bigger than he felt. He was long and thick and standing up tall. She wondered how that would ever fit inside her, but she was sure it would work like it was supposed to. Oddly the thought didn't scare her, it made her excited.

Edward was beyond the point of speaking coherently as grunts of pleasure were mingled with pants and curses. Bella stopped her exploration in favor of long strokes that seemed to get the most reaction from him. Watching his growing excitement was increasing her own arousal and she began to breathe heavily in time with him. After a few moments the only sound coming from him was the chant of her name over and over as he tensed up and tossed his head from side to side.

"Bella! Oh, Bella! Oh, BELLA!!!"

She felt his hard length twitch in her hand at the same time that warm liquid seemed to cover it. In another instant it covered not only her hand, but Edward as well and even a small bit on the comforter. Surprisingly, she didn't find this as all disturbing. It didn't seem any different from the wetness she experienced when he touched her, almost as if it were just one more thing they were sharing between them.

Edward's eyes were closed and his breathing was slowly coming under control as he lay back against the bed. Bella watched him, smiling, and continued to stoke him lightly, fascinated by the way he softened in her hand. She released him after a few minutes and kissed her way up his chest until she could nestle herself into his neck. Edward's arm came up to press against her back, holding her to him. The touch of their hot skin against each other was only broken by the small area her bra still covered.

"Bella," he spoke finally, almost in reverence.

"I had that same reaction to you this morning," she told him, smiling.

"You're amazing!" he whispered, kissing the top of her head.

"I think we are amazing together," she replied contently, snuggling closer.

"We will be," Edward breathed softly, suggestively, as he moved his hand under the waist band of her opened jeans to rub against her cotton panties.

Bella moaned at his touch, her arousal still strong, and squirmed against him.

Edward chuckled. "Don't worry, baby. We don't have to rush. We have all night alone together."

"Hmmmm…." Bella sighed. "Good thing my parents aren't coming home until…."

When Bella didn't finished her thought Edward realized she'd tensed up against him.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I just remembered something Billy said on the answering machine."

"Don't think about that, sweetheart. Don't think about them at all." Edward moved his hand back to her back and began to rub comfortingly.

"No, it's not that," Bella told him. "Just something he said. The way he said it." She raised her head to look at Edward. "Billy told my dad to call him when he got home and that he'd be in all night. He meant tonight. But, Billy knew my parents were supposed to be gone until the weekend. So, why would he think my dad would call him tonight?"

"What are you getting at, baby?"

Bella sat up and Edward groaned at the loss.

"I'm sorry, Edward." She told him as she reached for the phone next to her bed. "I know I'm a mood killer. Damn, you must be so tired of me. But I just got a really bad feeling."

"Tired of you?" Edward rolled over and stroked her shoulder, "Never."

Bella smiled at him as she dialed and held the phone to her ear.

"I swear this will only take a second and then I'll be…" she cut herself off as her attention was diverted to the phone. "Mom?" she said hesitantly. "Hey, sorry to bother you, I… um…" Bella paused, trying to think of a good excuse for calling. "Oh, I just thought I should let you know that I'm not staying at the Cullens anymore. So, if you need to reach me and I don't answer my cell, you can call the house."

Edward looked at Bella in question, wondering why she suddenly felt the urge to check in with her parents.

"Yeah, I'm at the house now," Bella answered a question spoken on the other line. Her body then went tense and she stood up, spinning around to look at Edward wildly. "What do you mean I'll see you soon?"

That got Edward's attention and he sat up strait, staring back at her.

"Oh," Bella answered woodenly, her eyes still fixed on Edward's. "OK. See you soon."

Bella slammed the phone on the hook.

"What the fuck?" Edward asked in alarm.

"They decided to head home early," she told him.

"I kind of got that impression," Edward replied. "Shit! When will they be here?"

"They just passed the High School," Bella explained. "They will be here in a few minutes."

"Damn it!" they both said in unison.

* * *

_**Thank you everyone who continues to review. I stopped replying to every review individually so I could put more time into writing and get my updates up faster. I don't have as much free time to write now, so thank you so much for your patience and understanding. Every time I get a review it makes me find more time to write so I can update for you! **_

_**Seriously, thanks !**_

**_Alexanya_**


	12. Family Ties

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

* * *

Enemy Mine

Chapter 12: "Family Ties"

"Damn it!" they both said in unison.

Bella bolted out of the bedroom without another word and dashed into the bathroom. Before Edward could even get up, she sprinted back through the door and threw a damp towel at him.

"Here!" she yelled quickly before turning once more and heading down the stairs. "Hurry!"

"What are you doing?" Edward asked frantically as he cleaned himself off and worked to get his pants back in place before jumping off the bed to follow her.

Bella was fiddling with the buttons on her own jeans by the time he caught up with her in the living room. He couldn't help but think how cute she looked running around in her little, cotton bra.

"You do not want to face my father after he's just located both of our shirts on the floor!" she told him a little hysterically.

Edward chuckled in spite of the situation. "He actually would have found _yours_ on the back of the couch," he corrected her, picking up her discarded white top and flinging it in her direction.

She caught it with a smirk and pulled it back on over her head. "Alice and I had a fight and I asked you to drive me home."

"What?" he looked at her in confusion.

"That's our story!" she answered impatiently. "To explain to my parents why I'm here."

"But, that's the truth."

"So?"

"So, if it's the truth than it isn't really a story," he explained teasingly.

"Would you shut up and get dressed!" she snapped, rolling her eyes and walking over to the window to keep a look-out.

Edward picked his shirt up and started putting it back on. "Do you want me to scram before they get here?"

"No!" Bella turned to look at him in alarm.

Edward raised his eyebrow in question at her quick response. "I just thought it might make things easier for you."

"I don't want you to go," she insisted, turning to look out the window again. "I mean, it's not fair that my dad thinks I shouldn't be around you. It's ridiculous!"

"It's not like he can keep me away from you," Edward tried to tease her. "If I can sneak a live frog into your book bag in the seventh grade I can certainly sneak around Chief Swan."

"We shouldn't have to sneak," she muttered.

Edward noticed the sadness clouding her face. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked.

"I'm just disappointed," she said with a sigh, looking away from the window and into his face. "I thought we'd get to be alone all night and I wanted it to be all about us," she explained. "Tonight was going to be _our_ night. I mean… I felt so ready… and it felt so right…."

Bella looked down and Edward realized she was blushing. He closed the space between them so he could caress her cheek, bringing her eyes back up to his gaze. Her blush was definitely there, but she didn't look away.

"Tonight just felt _right_, Edward," she told him again. "I… I want to be with you… and I wasn't going to let anything get in the way of _us_ no matter what happened. But now our night has been taken away."

"They'll be other nights."

"I know. And I can wait. It's just that, tonight really felt _right_. Like this was the right night for us."

"It wasn't the night, Bella," Edward told her as he cupped her face with both hands. "It's _us_. We're right, regardless of when or where. That's what you felt. And, as much as I love that you wanted to put us first tonight, before all the bull shit that is going on, we will be just as right tomorrow night, or the next night, or next week, or next year…. Oh, shit! But please don't let it wait until next year…."

Bella laughed. Damn if he didn't do it again! He always chased her frown away by making her laugh. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, hard. Edward returned the kiss before pulling back and nuzzling her neck.

"So, that was you?" she asked after a moment, "The frog in my bag?"

"Shit, baby," Edward snickered. "I thought you knew. That prank had my signature all over it."

"Asshole," Bella chided as she bit his earlobe playfully.

Edward dropped his hand to her ass and squeezed it. "Guess you'll have to punish me for it."

"If my parents weren't on their way here right now, don't think I wouldn't," she informed him suggestively.

Smiling at her tone, Edward hugged her again, closer this time.

"Yeah, but they are on their way," he sighed, reluctantly letting go. "So, I guess this stuff should stop for now."

Bella pouted, but stepped back from him.

"I guess we don't need to flaunt it to my father that you are my boyfriend now. He doesn't need another reason to be testy today."

"Flaunting or not, we _are_ together, Bella," Edward assured her. "And nothing your father says or does is going to change that."

"Damn right, it's not!" she nodded with her hands on her hips, but lost some of her gusto when they heard the car pull up in front of the house. "Oh shit, they're here," she said as she turned back to the window.

"Don't look too anxious, Bella," he smiled as he walked closer to the door and away from her. "I'm just here bringing you home after your big fight with Alice, remember?"

"Right," she agreed, trying to appear casual while doing a quick double-check to make sure all her clothes were back on strait. Oh, fuck! She probably smelled like Edward. She hoped her parents didn't get close enough to notice.

"Bella? We're home," Rene's voice rang out as she opened the door and dragged a large suitcase inside.

"Let me get that for you," Edward offered quickly as he rushed to take the luggage out of Rene's hand.

"Edward!" she responded pleasantly, relinquishing her bag with a grateful smile. "I didn't know you were here. What a nice surprise."

"He drove me home," Bella explained quickly, glad for the distraction that kept her mother from rushing over to hug her.

"Something wrong with your truck?" Charlie asked as he stepped through the door behind his wife. He stared suspiciously at Edward while asking the question.

"Hello to you too, Dad," Bella felt herself becoming defensive already and rolled her eyes. "And you guys dropped me off at the Cullen's on the way out of town, _remember_? I didn't have a way home."

"What about Alice's car?" Charlie asked.

"Shit, dad, what is your problem? Edward was just being nice."

"Bella, watch your language," Rene scolded her lightly, but her glare was for her husband. Turning back to her daughter she asked, "Why did you want to come home so badly?"

Resisting the urge to look at Edward for strength, Bella sighed. "If you must know," she said, "Alice and I got into a fight. A big fight! It's just been a bad week and I wanted to come home. Anyway, why are YOU guys home?"

Rene stepped further into the room and answered without looking at anyone. "It was turning out to be a bad week for everyone," she mumbled.

"What does that mean? Did you two start fighting again?" Bella asked.

Edward glanced at Bella in confusion, but she was looking back and forth at her parents.

"It's not important, honey. Nothing new," Rena tried to brush it off. "Why are you and Alice fighting? You two never fight."

"It _is_ important," Bella insisted, not letting her mom change the subject. "Something must have happened. You two were looking forward to this trip."

"And you were looking forward to spending time with Alice," Charlie cut in. "Now you, apparently, have better things to do?" He ended his sentence with a pointed look at Edward.

"Alice has a new boyfriend and we need a little break from each other, OK?" Bella replied quickly.

Charlie was still staring at Edward. "And you have no one _else_ to spend time with?"

"Dad!"

"Bella, we talked about this," Charlie went on, storming into the room and closer to Bella. "I don't know what has gotten into you…"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Charlie," Rene snapped, looking apologetically at Edward. "Now isn't the time."

"No, Rene. Now is the perfect time because they both need to hear this before it goes any further."

"We just got home. Let's at least relax a little..."

"You were the one who wanted to _talk_ about this all the way home, Rene," Charlie snapped.

"Yes I did!" she snapped back. "Because we were alone without distraction. But _you_ would barely grunt two words. Now, all of a sudden, you want to discuss this and make a big scene?"

"What scene? I just want to figure out from my daughter what the hell is going on around here."

"I thought she already told you, or tried to. Why should she expect you to listen now?" Rene asked spitefully. "And what has Edward done besides try to look out for her?"

"You know damn well what he did!" Charlie yelled at his wife. "He beat up poor Jacob! There was NO excuse for that! No matter what Jake did, that kind of violence against another kid is just inexcusable!"

"No matter what he did?!" Edward exclaimed in shock.

"Stop it!" Bella screamed. "Both of you just stop it! Why do you have to fight?"

"Honey…" Rene started.

"No!" Bella cried, her eyes tearing up in anger and frustration. "I don't understand why you have to keep fighting! You were supposed to get away so you would stop fighting! So, why are you fighting even more?"

"Why? You want to know why?" Charlie challenged. "Because I got a call in Vancouver that you've been running wild while we're gone and when Jacob tried to step in like a friend you let this punk beat the crap out of him!" He pointed his out-stretched arm at Edward as Bella just gaped at him. "And if that's not bad enough, you continue to snub Jacob when you're around these Cullen boys. Billy told me that you wouldn't even give Jake the time of day when he tried to talk to you at the lake! After everything the Billy and Jacob have done for you, young lady, I have a big problem with that! " Charlie's face was growing redder by the second. "Your _mother_, on the other hand, doesn't!" he continued. "So, yeah, you bet your ass we are fighting about it. And if you don't like it maybe you shouldn't have been acting like a…"

"Don't you say another word, Charlie!" Edward cut in. His eyes narrowed and his hands clenched into fists. "Don't you dare finish that sentence. NONE of this is Bella's fault!"

"You don't give orders here! I don't know who or what you think you are, Cullen, but this is my house! I'm about two seconds away from arresting you as it is."

"No!" Bella shouted. "Dad, just…. No! Edward hasn't done anything. Leave him out of it!"

"Leave him out of it?" Charlie growled. "He's the cause of it! How can you defend him, Bella? Jacob was the one trying to look out for you."

"How the hell would you know?" Bella shouted. "You weren't even there!"

Charlie shook his head. "I've known Jacob his whole life, and Billy for almost thirty year."

"You've known Edward his whole life too, Charlie," Rene insisted. "And I've know Esme for _over_ thirty years."

"What has that got to do with anything, Rene?" Charlie snapped at her. "You spent as much time in Phoenix in the past thirty years as you did around here. Hell, you'd rather be in Phoenix now, or anywhere else I imagine. So it seems sort of out of place for you to claim these strong ties to your northern friends all of a sudden."

"What the hell are you babbling about now, you idiot? What do any of those remarks have to do with believing our daughter?" Rene threw her hands in the air. "I swear it's like talking to a four-year-old with you!"

"So, I'm an idiot because I have faith in my friends."

"What about faith in your own daughter? Or your wife? What about faith in our judgment?"

"Why are you so quick to want to blame Jacob? Are the Blacks not good enough for you? The Cullens have money so they must have better character, is that it?"

"Just forget it! Just forget all of this!" Bella screeched. "Just stop talking!"

"She's right," Rene put her head in her hands. "What are we even doing? This is pointless. It's been pointless for a long time."

Bella shook her head frantically. "No, mom! No, that's not what I meant. I meant… I'm sorry. _I'm sorry._ For all of this. It's my fault so please, _please_ stop fighting about it."

Edward had been shocked into silence for most of the explosive argument, but Bella's words snapped him to attention.

"No!" he said suddenly. "No way, Bella. That's bullshit and you know it. None of this was your fault."

"Edward, please," she said quietly, looking up at him and pleading with her eyes.

"No one asked for your opinion," Charlie growled.

"You haven't been interested in anyone's opinion but your own, Charlie," Edward bit back. "You've obviously got some serious problems going on here and, quite frankly, I don't give a damn about that because the only problem that you should be concerned with is the problem Bella has. And his name, whether you like it or not, is Jacob Black."

"Now I see where she is getting this garbage! I knew she shouldn't be hanging around…."

"Dad! It's OK. Let's just forget it."

"Bella…" Edward started.

"No, please," Bella begged him. "Edward, this just needs to stop before it gets worse for everyone. Please, let's just forget it and stop trying to cast blame, OK?"

Edward stared at her horrified. She knew he'd hate this, but she was desperate to defuse the situation before they could start screaming again.

"Dad, if you stop fighting and leave Edward alone, I'll drop this. I'll… I'll stop saying things about Jacob."

"And you'll apologize to him," Charlie added.

"Fuck, no!" Edward exploded.

Charlie's eyes flashed but before he could snap Rene stepped in. "Charlie, it's an olive branch, damn it! She's at least trying. Can't you even _try? _If that's too much for you just say so and we will be out of here."

"Mom, no!"

"Fine!" Charlie conceded. "But if she's going to be hanging around the Cullens…. especially this one… then she's going to spend some time with the Blacks too. And that includes Jacob!" Edward started shaking his head but Charlie turned on him in a rage, "You're not getting a say in this!"

"The hell I'm not!" Edward yelled back at Charlie with such force that he was stunned for a moment. "You may not want to give me say, but I'm taking it anyway and, so help me, you are going to HEAR it!!!"

"Edward, please don't!" Bella pleaded. Her family was disintegrating before her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to grab on to something is slipped through her fingers and Edward was about to blow the rest of it away. "Just let it go. It will be OK."

"No it won't and you know it! Bella, you can be pissed at me if you want but I'm not keeping quiet while this bastard puts you in danger. I won't let you get hurt like that even if you hate me for it."

"You watch your mouth, you spoiled punk! No one here is asking for your help!"

"No, you're asking me to look the other way while you let your buddy's kid rape your daughter!"

"You son-of-a-bitch! How dare you…."

"Maybe you don't think forcing your hand down a girl's pants is big deal!" Edward yelled again. "Or did Jacob leave that part out of his story?"

"Get out of my house," Charlie snarled dangerously.

Rene gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "It… it wasn't really like _that?_" she whispered fearfully, glancing at Bella. "Was it?" When no one answered she took a step towards Edward and asked with more force. "Was it???"

The room was suddenly quiet. Edward looked over at Bella who wouldn't meet his gaze. Her head was lowered as far as it could go. A tear splattered on the hard wood beneath her.

"Make her show you the bruise he left," Edward replied, still staring at Bella. When she wouldn't look up Edward sighed and walked towards the door.

He had dropped the bomb. The flood gate was open now and the consequences could set in, with or without him there. Bella wouldn't even look at him so she apparently just wanted him to leave. He tried to tell himself that giving her time with her parents was what she needed right now, but every step he took away from her hurt worse than the one before.

Charlie glared daggers at Edward but was smart enough to let him pass without a word. Rene was sniffling quietly and shaking her head as if she didn't know what to think or believe. Edward looked away from both of them and opened the door to face the rain again. The wind had picked up and blew some droplets onto his face.

"Edward, wait!" Bella suddenly called out, dashing passed her parents and across the room. She felt numb. Worse – she felt like her stomach was being piled up with rocks. But she couldn't let him walk away like this. "Wait," she said again as she touched his arm awkwardly. "Thanks for driving me home," she spoke after a moment, still not pulling away. "I'm sorry about all of this."

"It's not your fault," Edward assured her. "Any of it."

Bella forced herself to drop her arm and step away from him. Damn, that was hard to do.

"Are you OK?" Edward asked, reaching out to clasp her hand while glancing repeatedly between her and her parents. It was a stupid question to ask out of the hundreds bouncing around his head. Why didn't she tell him her parents' marriage was falling apart? Was this why she wanted to keep quiet about Jacob? Was she angry at him for telling her parents?

Bella shrugged and Edward realized that was the only answer she was going to give. Anything else would be a lie.

He just nodded in reply and dropped her hand as he turned back to the door.

"Thank you, Edward," Rene called after him.

Edward turned again and looked at Bella's mother in confusion. Charlie was glaring at his wife and, before she could offer an explanation, he grumbled to himself and disappeared up the stairs. The three of them watched him go with differing reactions of pain and relief.

"You don't have to thank me, Rene," Edward replied. "But, out of curiosity, what are you thanking me for?"

"For protecting Bella, of course," she said softly. "Her father is grateful too, you know."

Both Edward and Bella rolled their eyes at that.

"No, he is!" Rene continued. "He would kiss the feet of anyone who protected his little girl. He's just confused right now about who that is."

"And you aren't?" Edward asked.

"Confused?" Rene shook her head. "I'm very confused. But I know you'd never hurt Bella."

"Doesn't Charlie think that about Jacob?"

Rene eyes squinted. "I suppose he does…" she hesitated.

"Well, he's wrong!" Edward blurted out. He knew he might be out of line but someone else had to grasp that Jacob was dangerous, especially when he couldn't be with Bella every minute.

Rene shook her head. "I'm not doubting you, Edward," she said sadly. "But we have known Jacob since he was a little boy too, you know." When he tried to interrupt, she held up her hand to stop him. "I know you are only worried about Bella's safety and I'm sure, whatever happened, you were trying to do the right thing."

"He _did_ do the right thing," Bella finally spoke.

"OK," Rene replied gently, holding her hand out to her daughter. "Why do we go talk about it, honey?"

Edward took this as his clue to leave.

"I'd better get going." He put his hand on Bella's shoulder and gently squeezed.

She looked up with sad eyes and nodded. He turned and left quickly without another word, for which she was grateful. Watching him go was undeniably hard. So much had changed in the past few days and they'd barely been separated for any of it. All this talk about Jacob was stirring up her emotions again and she longed to lean against Edward and press her face into his chest. Instead, she closed the door against the rain and shut her eyes to resist the urge to watch him through the window.

"Come on, honey," her mother came up behind her breaking into her thoughts. "Let's go sit down so we can talk."

"No!"

Bella's refusal shocked Rene. She reached out and gently turned her daughter to face her.

"Just drop it, mom," Bella told her. "I don't want this to turn into you against Dad and that's what will happen. If you two can't be on my side _together_ than I'd rather not have you on my side at all."

"Bella…."

"No, I'm serious! If you guys are going to fight you are going to do it over something that isn't about me. I'm not going to be the final straw that breaks you up."

Rene's face looked pained. "Bella, you are not the cause of our problems. I don't ever want you to think that."

"Those are just words, mom." Bella told her. "But the fact is you and dad were starting to get along again until Billy called after the barbecue. Right? The more this situation gets dragged out the worse things will get between you two."

"Bella, these situations have nothing to do with each other. Our marriage problems don't mean we stop being parents."

"I don't want you to stop being parents, but I want you to be my parents together." Bella took a deep breath and folded her arms over her chest.

Rene saw her daughter's stubborn stance and sighed. "What do you want me to do, Bella?"

"Talk to dad. Work things out. Get on the same page and THEN the three of us can talk." Rene looked doubtful so Bella went on. "You both want what is best for me. That, at least, should be some common ground to start on."

"Bella, right now I need to know that you are OK," Rene insisted gently.

"No, mom. I'm not OK!" Bella exclaimed, stepping back from her. "Something really scary happened to me. I'm having nightmares. My best friend isn't speaking to me. And… oh yeah…my parents are close to filing for divorce. So, no, I'm not OK."

Rene reached out to grab her shoulders gently. "Bella, did Jacob hurt you?" she asked directly.

Bella stared back at her mom and tried not to give into the tears. She didn't want to have this conversation. She wanted to be tough, to make her parents come to her as a team. But there was also a part of her that was still a frightened, young girl who wanted her mother's comfort.

She turned her face away fighting not to give in. "I said I don't want to talk about it."

"Edward said Jacob hurt you. That he bruised you. Is that true?" Rend asked. When Bella remained silent she pressed, "Well, is Edward lying then?"

"No!" Bella cried. "Of course not!"

"Then you were hurt!" Rene stated. "Jacob hurt you."

"Stop. Just stop. I'm not doing this with you." she jerked away her mom.

"Bella, I want to see the bruise."

"What? No!"

"Either Edward is lying, or Jacob hurt you badly enough to leave a bruise," Rene said sternly. "So, _was_ Edward lying?"

Bella glared at her mother. "I told you, Edward didn't do anything wrong."

"But Jacob did?"

Damn, her mother should have been an attorney. When did she get so good at logic? It had to be a mom thing.

Bella didn't want to pick sides between her parents, but she sure as hell was going to pick sides between Edward and Jacob.

"Yes," she finally conceded. "Jacob hurt me and Edward is innocent of doing anything wrong. OK?"

"I want to see the bruise, Bella."

"Why? Don't you believe me?"

"Of course I do, honey," Rene insisted when she saw the hurt in her daughter's eyes. "That's why I want to see it. I want to support you in any way I can, even if it means backing up your story."

Bella thought about that for a moment before turning silently to walk into the kitchen. Her mother followed her quietly and didn't say anything when Bella started to undo her jeans.

"It's on my upper thigh," she said in a soft whisper as she began to tug the tight denim down to her knees. She had trouble looking at her mother so she stared at her bruised flesh. They ugly spot had turned a deep purple that somehow seemed darker than black.

Rene stared at the mark critically. "How…?"

"His knee I think," Bella replied to her unfinished question. "I'm not sure. It all happened so fast. He was forcing me against the wall of the Cullen's foyer. That's where he held me still… On that spot, I mean…. Yeah, I think it was with his knee…" she trailed off uncomfortably.

Rene stared at the mark and her breathing accelerated until her nostrils seemed to flare.

"He tried to pull my jeans off and I couldn't get away from him," Bella continued. Now that she had her mother's attention the words seemed to come out on their own. "I mean, he was trying to get his hand… um… inside my jeans. I _think_ he was trying to take them off or… or maybe he was just trying to touch …." She swallowed, feeling suddenly embarrassed. "Anyway, that's when Edward pulled him off of me," she finished in a rush, her face burning.

"Edward saw all of this?" Rene asked in a choked voice, still looking at the bruise.

"He was upstairs and heard me screaming."

Rene's head snapped up to look at her daughter. Bella saw tears in her eyes.

"You were screaming?" she repeated in horror.

"Um, yeah. I mean, I didn't think anyone else was in the house but I was screaming at Jake to stop." Feeling horribly exposed Bella started fumbling to get her jeans back up. "Edward was up in his room and heard me. He ran downstairs and saw…um… you know? And he pulled Jacob off of me."

Rene nodded in understanding. "And that is when he beat Jacob up."

"No!" Bella gasped. "Mom, he only threw him to the ground and hit him once. He could have done a lot more but he was too worried about me."

"You father said Jacob's nose was broken."

"Yeah, well, maybe it was a really good punch. But Edward was pretty pissed when he saw Jacob hurting me. He wanted to do a lot worse, but he didn't."

Rene nodded, seeming to understand how Edward must have felt. She tried to keep her expression calm but her throat constricted and she swallowed several times before speaking. "OK, honey. OK. I'll have a talk with your dad."

Bella just looked at the floor and nodded again. When her mom wrapped her arms around her Bella let herself lean into the embrace.

"Do you want me to make us some dinner?" Rene asked her.

"No thanks, mom," Bella replied. Shit, her mom was as bad as Edward. Why did everyone want to feed her when she was upset? "I think I'll just go upstairs and get ready for bed."

"Bed?" Rene pulled back and looked at her in concern. "It's not even 8:00?"

"Yeah, well, I haven't been sleeping very well and I'm feeling kind of tired."

"Maybe a night in your own bed will help," Rene suggested.

Bella tried to agree, but couldn't. A _lonely_ night all _alone_ in her bed was not what she really needed, damn it! But she was eager to avoid any more parental encounters so she just nodded to her mother before fleering towards the stairs. She trudged up them without eagerness, her legs feeling heavy. The bathroom door was open near the landing and she spontaneously thought about taking a shower before getting ready for bed. It's not like she was going to be able to sleep anyway and she needed something to help her unwind. She decided a bath was an even better idea and started filling the tub with warm water. Pinning her long hair up so it wouldn't get wet, she stared at herself in the mirror.

"What a mess," she said to her reflection, referring more to her life than the dark circles under her eyes.

When the glass began to fog up, Bella pulled her clothes off and stepped into the steaming water. Sliding down against the back of the tub she closed her eyes and thought about her parents.

Charlie and Rene had always been a volatile couple, but the making up used to be as passionate as the fighting for them. She could not even count how often she'd been sent to bed early because mommy and daddy needed some alone time after an argument. It had been years now since that had happened, though.

What had changed them? Did their love just dry up? Did that happen to people?

Bella's thoughts drifted to Edward. There was definitely something special between them. They'd only been together a short time, but her feelings about him were so intense. She tried to imagine a time when she wouldn't feel that way; a day when that was just gone. How do feelings like that die out after two people have shared them for as many years as her parents? It didn't make any sense!

Could her parents really split up for good? Was that what her mom wanted now?

Rene had never made a secret of hating Folks. Although she'd been born here, she'd spent half of her childhood with her grandmother in Phoenix after her own parents had divorced. If she hadn't met Charlie during a summer visit with Esme she would never have moved back to Washington State at all. If she wasn't married to Charlie any more she'd go back to sunny Arizona in a heart beat.

And where would that leave Bella?

"Ah, this isn't working!" she signed in frustration.

The water was already growing tepid and she was more worked up than ever. Her head was starting to pound with the stress of over thinking. She needed to find a way to relax so she could get some sleep. Tomorrow wasn't going to be any easier and exhaustion was only making things worse.

"Think happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts…" she chanted to herself, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. "Think about Edward." She smiled and did just that.

When her mind began to replay the argument downstairs, she focused on the way Edward had looked out for her. He got this pinched look between his brows when he was going into protective mode. It was so cute. Bella imagine brushing her fingers across it to soothe him and him smiling back at her. Mmmm… he had the most delicious smile. It made her stomach quiver every time she saw it. Her stomach quivered now just thinking about it and she placed her hand over her abdomen lightly, feeling her skin tingle in the water.

Suddenly she thought about it being Edward's hand on her navel, the way he had touched her before. He had smoothed his fingers over her flat stomach and around her hip bones, coming closer to her throbbing heat. Even now she was pulsing between her legs just remembering his hands on her and she touched herself while imaging it was him. Her other hand moved gently to her breast and she stroked it softly as he had done. He had explored it so tenderly, as if he was fascinated by every smooth inch of her flesh.

Bella's breathing was increasing as she continued her daydream. Edward's hands on her. Edward worshiping her body. Edward making her vibrate with energy and passion.

Her fingers brushed across her curls and slipped between her lower lips until they touched her clit. She sucked in her breath at the amazing feeling and continued to caress it as Edward had. Soon she was panting and biting her lip to keep her quiet.

"Edward," she breathed, whimpering slightly as she let go and let the tide carry her away. Her body clenched and rocked. It felt – oh, so nice - and when she finally came to the end she was very relaxed.

She let her head rest against the tile and enjoyed the rubbery feeling that lingered in her limbs for a few moments. When the water cooled she quickly finishing her bathing and stepped out of the tub, wrapping a fluffy towel around herself. The pins came out with a quick toss of her head and her hair cascaded around her damp shoulders. She searched in vain for her slippers but realized they were still in her bedroom, so she padded in her bare feet across the wood floor of the hallway.

The knob on her door turned soundlessly and she pushed it open without an ounce of enthusiasm. It had only been a few days since she was last in here, busily packing for a week at the Cullen house while listening to her parents prepare for their trip. Looking at her room now, her bed neatly made and her books stacked in an orderly fashion on her desk, it felt strangely empty. She left the door standing open and didn't even have the desire to turn on the light as she made her way towards the closet in search of a night gown. The faint sound of soft rain came through the window along with the dimming light of the evening. She reached out to open the closet just as she heard the clicking sound of her bedroom door being closed behind her.

Bella spun around, startled by the noise and clutching the towel to her chest.

Removing his hand from the knob and stepping out of the shadows, Edward grinned at her wickedly. His hair and clothes were obviously damp but there was no mistaking the twinkle in his eye as he smirked at her.

"Don't get dressed on my account."

* * *

**_ I hope this was worth the wait!_**

**_~Alexanya_**


	13. Comfort

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

* * *

Enemy Mine

Chapter 13: "Comfort"

Bella spun around, startled by the noise and clutching the towel to her chest.

Removing his hand from the knob and stepping out of the shadows, Edward grinned at her wickedly. His hair and clothes were obviously damp but there was no mistaking the twinkle in his eye as he smirked at her.

"Don't get dressed on my account."

Bella had never been so glad to see anyone in her life. "Are you crazy?" she grinned widely, darting swiftly across the room and into his arms.

Edward caught her up against him. "Mmm…Only about you."

"You're so damn corny," Bella whispered as her arms wound around his neck. "How did you get in here?"

"The window."

"You climbed up the house?"

That explained his damp hair and clothes.

"Yeah, sort of. It's not too hard to do," Edward explained. "And this wasn't the first time I've done it."

"What?" Bella still didn't let go of him but turned her head slightly to hear him better. "You've come in through my window before? When?"

"A couple of times," Edward answered without remorse. "I mean, how do you think your best Pokémon cards always disappeared?"

"You asshole!" Bella giggled in his ear. She should have been pissed but she couldn't manage it. "How long have you been waiting in here?"

"Long enough. Damn, woman, you were in the bath forever. I was starting to think you'd drowned. What they hell were you doing in there all that time?"

Bella blushed scarlet, but tucked her face into his neck to hide it. "How was I supposed to know you were waiting?" she asked, dodging the embarrassing question.

Edward moved one hand to her bare shoulder and started kneading it soothingly. "I couldn't just go home without knowing you were OK. Besides, I promised to stay with you tonight."

"With my parents here?! You're still going to stay?"

Edward pushed her back gently, noticing how the towel slipped down to reveal just the top of her round breasts.

"Unless you don't want me to," he said.

Bella's face showed her panic. "No, no! I want you to!" she insisted, gripping the back of his neck tightly. "Please stay!"

Edward bent down and kissed her.

"I've told you before," he said when they broke the kiss. "I'm not going anywhere."

Bella leaned against him and moved her arms to hug his waist. He stood sturdy, not even wavering as he held her up. He was strong and steady. Damn, she needed him right now.

The rain started pouring harder against the window and the light had faded outside. Edward noticed the goose bumps rising on Bella's arms when he stroked them.

"I was really kidding about not getting dress," he told her softly. "You should put something on or you'll catch cold."

Bella rubbed her face against his chest contently. "Are you sure you aren't just looking for a chance to watch me drop this towel?"

She could tell that thought hadn't even occurred to him but the way he instantly brightened. "Well, hey – as long as I'm here…"

"Forget it, mister!" she laughed releasing her arms and backing away from him. "You're still not seeing the whole package yet."

Edward pouted. "But, come on. I've almost seen it anyway."

"Almost doesn't count," she scolded playfully. "And, besides, it would be way too embarrassing!"

"What would be embarrassing?"

Bella crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You watching me get dressed. I mean, like some sort of strip tease or something." She shook her hair nervously and felt her face blush.

Edward groaned.

"Don't say shit like that when it's not going to happen!" he begged.

"What'd I say?"

"Strip tease. You are never allowed to say 'strip tease' to me unless one is going to occur," he informed her. "Got it?"

"Maybe…." She drew out, still trying to hide her shyness about it. Could she ever, EVER be bold enough to actually do a strip tease? That was something to think about later. "For now, please turn around."

"Fine," Edward mumbled, facing the door again.

Bella went to her closet and selected a sleeveless, white nightgown. She was going to put on a sleep shirt with long sleeves since it was getting chilly. But, if Edward was staying over, she wanted to be able to feel his palms against her arms and shoulders when they slept. Yeah, she was a fucking sap now.

"OK, you can turn back around," she told him after pulling the gown over her head and stepping into a pair of panties.

Edward turned and stared at her.

Son-of-a-bitch!

There she stood in a virgin white gown that didn't even reach her knees. The damn towel had covered more of her! She walked calmly towards him and her firm, shapely thighs peaked out beneath the small ruffle of the hem.

"What are you gaping at?" she asked him.

Edward literally gulped. "Maybe you should have left the towel on. It looked warmer."

"You'll keep me warm," Bella told him as she moved to sit on the bed.

"You aren't going to make this easy on me, are you?" Edward stepped back to lock the door. "You know we have to behave and keep the noise down."

"Look who has changed his tune since this morning. You weren't nearly as worried about being caught by _your_ parents."

"Baby, there is one big difference between my dad and your dad." Edward double checked the lock on the door before walking over to join her on the bed.

"Oh really?" Bella scooted over to make room for him. "So it is better to get caught at your house than at mine? Why is that?"

"My dad doesn't carry a gun."

Bella giggled and rolled her eyes. "My dad wouldn't shoot you."

Edward looked at her in profound disbelief.

"Well…" Bella tried to fight her grin. "OK, maybe he would."

"So, we behave. Right?"

"I will if you will," she teased him. "You know it's harder for you."

"Still blinded to the truth, aren't you Swan? But we both know it's you who can't keep your hands off of me."

Bella raised her eyebrows at him suggestively and he knew she was up to something. A moment later she rolled onto her hands and knees and started crawling up to the head of the bed. Her perfectly round ass peeked out from under the short gown and she wiggled it a little more than necessary as she leaned down to pulled the covers back.

Was it wrong that he was developing a fascination with her fucking panties?!

This pair was white like her gown and covered in lace. Shit, only a thong would be sexier than that. Damn it! Now he was picturing Bella in a thong. He was definitely in fucking trouble here.

Bella turned to look at him knowingly and slipped her legs under the sheet.

"Are you tired?" Edward asked. "It's kind of early to be in bed."

"I'm not tired," Bella said softly. "But I'm ready to be in bed."

Edward groaned a little too loudly.

"Shhh…" she hushed him quickly.

"You're killing me here, baby. And you damn well know it too!"

"Just shut up and get in," she whispered with a smile. "I'm cold."

"Yeah, well I'm about to over-heat," Edward told her as he stood beside the bed and started to remove his shirt.

Bella propped herself up to look at him as he undressed.

"Do I get a striptease now?" she asked.

"Didn't we have a rule about that particular word?" Edward paused when his shirt was removed and put his hands on the button of his jeans. "On or off?"

Bella bit her lip. "Off," she whispered.

Edward grinned at her knowingly.

"What? They're still damp," she insisted with wide-eyed innocence.

Stripping down to his boxers, Edward walked around the bed and slid in beside her. Bella lay down on her side and watched as he fluffed the pillows up to lean against them. His bare chest and stomach were clearly visible in the dim light and she wasted no time settling herself against them as soon as he was still. Her head rested on his abs and one hand curved around his side.

Edward loved the feeling of her soft hair against him and couldn't resist stroking some of the long strands. He rubbed his palm along the exposed skin of her shoulder several times.

"Still cold?" he asked.

"Getting warmer."

Edward squeezed her close and listened to her sigh contently. He felt so grateful to have her in his arms at this moment and he knew there was no way he could have walked away from her tonight.

"Thank you for staying with me," Bella said after several minutes.

"What happened after I left?"

"Mom and I… talked."

"And?" Edward prompted when she didn't go on. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but did it go OK? Are _you_ OK?"

Bella rolled back a little so they were facing each other. She kept her hand on his chest, just touching him lightly.

"I don't mind telling you. But you don't have to worry," she assured him. "It was hard… Talking about it; putting what happened into words. But I'm OK."

Edward reached up to stroke her cheek with one finger, almost as if he could sense the trail her tears had left earlier.

"I'm proud of you," he told her.

"Why?"

"Because you are facing your fears, even though it's uncomfortable. You aren't hiding them away or pretending that nothing happened."

"I wanted to," she admitted, looking down. "I mean, it's embarrassing."

"What are you talking about?" Edward asked in confusion. "What they hell could you have to be embarrassed about?"

Bella looked back up at him incredulously. "The whole thing is embarrassing!" she insisted. "Having to tell your mom that the kid you grew up with groped you and tried to force himself on you?" Bella shuttered and flopped on her back, clutching her stomach. "I fucking hate it! I hate that it happened!" she exclaimed. "I wish to hell it could just _un-_happen and I'd never have to think about it again!!"

"I wish I could take it away for you," Edward replied softly. "I hate that you have to deal with this too. And I hate that I wasn't there with you so this never would have happened at all."

Bella looked up at Edward horrified.

"Shit, Edward! No!" she said. "This wasn't your fault! Damn it! Tell me you know this wasn't your fault at all!"

"I was being a dick," he replied insistently. "I picked a fight with you and didn't even let you tell me why you were going out. If I hadn't done that, maybe you would have called me to come get you. At the very least, you would have known I was home and Jacob would never have come inside with you…"

"Shh… stop! Don't!" Bella sat up and grabbed Edward's face between both of her hands. "You were there for me. You were the only one who was there for me. You still are! I need you! So much! And you are _always_ there for me."

Before Edward had a chance to reply, Bella brought his face to hers and kissed him soundly on the lips.

"Please don't ever doubt that," she added as she stared into his eyes again.

"Why didn't you tell me about your parent?" he asked matching her stare.

Bella suddenly looked uncomfortable but she didn't look away.

"Because I wasn't ready to admit it to myself," she finally answered.

"I get it now. I mean, I think I understand why you didn't want to call them. You didn't want to spoil their time together."

"Or give them something new to fight about," she nodded. "The trip was my idea. I planned it for them. I called it the-honeymoon-they-never-had."

"How long have they been…? Has it been bad for awhile?" Edward asked gently.

"It's been getting worse, I guess. They fight a lot." Bella shrugged. "They always have fought but they used to make up too."

"And now?"

"Now they don't."

Bella was still looking into Edward's face. He was glad she hadn't turned away even though it was clearly a hard subject for her. He was propping himself up on one elbow and he leaned forward until their foreheads touched.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

"It's OK. It's nice to have someone to talk to about it," she whispered, her breath warming his chin. "I know you wonder why I didn't tell you before. I guess I just wasn't ready to say out loud that my parents' marriage is really falling apart."

Edward nodded against her head. Slowly he stoked her bare arm from shoulder to wrist and back again.

"Does Alice know?" he asked, wondering how his sister could be such a bitch if she knew what her best friend was going through.

Bella shook her head. "Alice is… you know. She's easily distracted. It's hard to talk to her about serious things."

"She's a selfish brat is what she is."

"Edward!" Bella pulled back slightly. "I'm pissed at her too, but she's still Alice."

"I'm not saying I don't love her. She's my sister! But I think everyone has let her get away with things long enough. She needs to grow up and stop being so self-absorbed. It's not cute anymore!"

"Wow. Don't hold back or anything," Bella smiled, lifting her arm to run her fingers through his hair. "This angry Edward is kind of turning me on."

Edward grabbed her hand and smiled back at her.

"I'm serious," he said, kissing her fingers and turning her hand over to kiss her palm. "She takes from you but doesn't give back. We've all seen it and it isn't fair." When Bella started to object Edward playfully covered her mouth with her own hand. "You deserve more!"

Bella laughed and pretended to try to mumble against her hand.

"Maybe you're right," she finally agreed after he lowered their now joined hands. "But honestly, Edward, she's been there for me as much as most people."

"That doesn't make it enough. You should have had someone you could talk to about this."

"I do now," Bella said looking strait at him. "And I'm grateful."

"I'm the one who is grateful because you'll tell me this stuff when you don't tell anyone else," Edward insisted with a goofy grin on his face. "It makes me feel kind of amazing that you'll let me know what's really going on with you…. Does that sound selfish or messed up? I've told you I'm not good at this boyfriend thing."

"Boyfriend." Bella's smile widened, lightening the mood. "Oh, yeah. You are my boyfriend! And you _are_ good at it!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him so their noses almost touch. "And you make me feel amazing too!"

"Is that a fact?" Edward drawled back, running his fingers down her back and along the curve of her ass.

"Mmm hmm," she replied, moving into this touch. "You're my happy place," she whispered as her lips lightly traced his.

Edward rolled over and pulled her down on top of him, their mouths pushing firmly into each other's. They kissed slowly, deeply, their hands caressing wherever they could reach. Bella's leg eventually found its way across Edward's body so she was straddling him, their chests still pressed together. She could feel his lower body stirring against her.

Edward moaned.

"We have to behave, remember?" she said between kisses.

Edward moaned again. "Can't!" he said as he grabbed the back of her bare thighs and arched against her.

Bella moaned this time and then groaned in frustration. "We have to stop," she said, but contradicted herself by slipping her tongue into his mouth.

Edward sucked on her tongue and she fought hard not to make a sound in reaction, but it felt so fucking good. She began rocking her pelvis against his and whimpered softly.

Edward's hands moved between them and he began stroking her breasts.

"Ah!" Bella exclaimed. It felt like his hands were creating an eclectic current through her body. "Oh!" she arched her back to give him more access which caused her lower half to push into his.

"Ah, fuck!" Edward reacted to the added pressure and moaned loudly again.

The abrupt sound shocked Bella back to her senses and she immediately rolled off of him and lay on her back panting.

"I don't think that was 'behaving," Bella told him.

"You and I just don't do quiet, baby," Edward agreed as he tried to catch his breath

They lay beside each other for several minutes, waiting for their pounding hearts to slow. Edward tried to take a deep breath to calm himself, but ended up inhaling Bella's strawberry scent instead. Her hair was still tickling his shoulder where it was draped across the pillow and he could hear her soft little pants as she started to relax. Damn, it was like she filled all of his senses just by being near him. She affected him like nothing ever had.

Bella turned her head to find Edward already looking at her. "No more kissing tonight," she suggested.

Edward eyes scrunched up in displeasure. "No more kissing _on the mouth?_" he suggested as a compromise.

"Hmm… that leaves an awful lot of areas still to be kissed…"

"What areas did you have in mind?" he asked rolling closer to her again. He gave her a captivating smile and started to play with the cotton strap of her night gown.

"No, no," Bella scolded. "No more kissing tonight. Period. Unless you want to gamble on my father's accuracy and, personally, I wouldn't. He is a good shot."

She ended with a giggled as Edward's face turned from playful to horrified in a matter of seconds.

"Maybe you're right," he said in all seriousness. "They'll be other nights."

Bella's face fell. "When?"

"What do you mean? They'll be lots of other nights together."

"But, when? I'm not staying at your house for the rest of Spring Break. Not now that my parents are home and Alice isn't speaking to me. Will I even see you tomorrow?"

"Of course you will. I'm going to wake up here, remember?" Edward moved his hand to caress her cheek lovingly.

"But what about after that?" Bella asked in concern. "What about after you go home? When … how… will we see each other? You can't stay here every night."

"Who says I can't? Unless you don't want me here."

"Of course I want you here… more than you know….especially now…."

"OK."

"But, I know you can't stay here all the time. And what about during the day?"

"Bella, I'm your boyfriend," Edward reminded her. "We'll be together all the time."

"You mean, out in the open? Go public?"

"Of course! Why? You don't want to?"

Bella heard the self-conscious concern in Edward's voice. "Yes!" she quickly answered. "I can't wait until we don't have to hide. I want to tell everyone that I'm yours and you're mine."

"But?" Edward prompted when he saw her hesitation. When she looked down he tapped her chin with is finger. "Bella? What is it?"

"My father."

Edward scowled. He didn't completely understand where her fears lay this time, but he knew that somehow Charlie was again a part of it.

"Please don't be upset," Bella whispered when she saw the ways his eyes had darkened.

Edward immediately made himself calm down. "I'm not upset with you, baby," he told her. "Can you explain, though? Why your father is the reason we can be open about our relationships?"

A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. "I can't believe you actually said 'relationship' with a strait face."

"I can say relationship. Now, if you want me to start saying I'm whipped, though, I won't do it," he teased.

"Maybe not yet," she brushed his hair back with her fingers.

Edward grabbed her hand, "Stop trying to distract me."

"All right," she finally conceded. "Basically, my dad is just being a … a…."

"A dick?"

Bella rolled her eyes, "Pretty much, yes. He doesn't want me seeing you. He's all but forbidden me to even hang out with you and if he found out we were actually together…. Well, he would find a way to make our lives very miserable."

"I'm not afraid of your dad."

Bella gave him that disbelieving look he was starting to get used to.

"Ok, maybe I'm _a little_ afraid of him," Edward admitted. "But I'm not going to let that keep me away from you."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," she smiled. "But don't you think we might as well make this as easy on ourselves as possible? I mean, right now dad has no reason to check my room at night. Why give him one?"

"I see your point. And I also see just what a crafty little mind you have."

"Didn't you call me 'devious' once?" Bella accused him.

"Yes, but I meant it in a sexy way."

"Of course you did."

Bella's laugh was cut short but the abrupt sound of knocking.

"Bella? Are you asleep, honey?" Rene's voice carried through the door softly.

"Shit!"

Before Edward could even react to Bella's cursing she shoved him hard, pushing him out of the bed and onto the floor. He fell with a loud thud, landing on the far side so the bed was between him and the door.

"Bella! Are you OK?" Rene called.

"I'm fine, mom!" she quickly yelled back, leaping off the bed and racing to the door.

She hoped to open it before her mom discovered it was locked, but she wasn't fast enough.

"Bella, why is the door lock?" Rene asked as she tried to turn the knob.

Bella unlocked the door quickly and pulled it open.

"Sorry, mom. Did you need something?" she asked trying to appear casual.

Rene gave her a quizzical look. "Are you all right? It sounded like you fell off the bed."

"Yeah, well, you know how clumsy I am."

"Even lying down in bed, you are clumsy?"

Bella just shrugged.

"And why is your door locked?"

"Damn, mom! What's with the questions?"

"Isabella, what has gotten into your language?!"

"Sorry," she apologized although she had cursed on purpose to distract her mom's interrogation. "But, it's not like I haven't heard you and dad swear before."

"It's not lady-like, Bella, and it sounds nasty."

"OK, mom, I'll watch the swearing. Was there anything else?"

"I just wanted to know if you were OK."

"Oh," Bella soften her attitude. "Yeah, I'm fine. Um… did you talk to dad?"

Rene shifted her eyes away from her daughter. "Your dad is pretty stubborn. He has convinced himself that it was just a misunderstanding. He wants to talk to Jacob to get his side of the story."

It was surprising how hearing that still made her eyes well up with tears. Her father's betrayal was a pain like nothing she'd felt before.

Rene saw the moisture in her eyes and immediately felt badly. "Oh, honey. Don't cry. We are going to work this out, I promise."

Bella let her mother hug her, but didn't feel comforted by her assurance.

"I think I just want to sleep mom. Maybe I'll take a Tylenol PM or something. I just want to get some rest."

"OK, honey. That sounds like a good idea. Do you want me to bring you one?"

"Thanks, but I'll get it later if I can't sleep."

Rene nodded and kissed her cheek before walking out. Bella waited until her mom's footsteps drifted away before locking the door again. She sprinted back to the bed and threw herself across it so her head hung down on the far side. Edward was lying on the floor, rubbing his shoulder as he stared back at her.

"Are you OK?" he asked her.

"I should be asking you that."

"No shit! I didn't know you could push that hard – Damn!"

"I'm so sorry. I panicked!"

"No worries, baby," Edward chuckled. "Only minor injuries were sustained."

Bella reached down to help him up, but he gave her arm a tug and gently slid her off the bed into his lap.

"Be careful! I doubt my mom will believe I fell off the bed twice."

"We're talking about _you_ sweetheart. Of course she will."

"Shut up," Bella smacked his chest lightly.

"Hey! Injured here! Remember?"

"Poor baby," Bella giggled and turned her face into his neck. "Where does it hurt? Let me kiss it and make it better."

"All over! Every inch of my body hurts."

"This could take awhile."

"Better get started, then." Edward tilted her chin up and lowered his mouth to hers.

"Wait!" Bella pulled back before she touched his lips. "We said no more kissing."

"You've got to be fucking kidding," Edward groaned, shifting her on his lap. "I'm aching here! I was hurt, remember? Just a little…"

"No!" Bella whispered fiercely, turning her face back into his neck. "We don't do 'just a little' very well. Remember? We have to be careful."

Edward lowered his head to her shoulder and whimpered. "You're killing me. You are literally killing me, Bella."

Bella said nothing as Edward stood with her in his arms and placed her back on the bed. They settled into the covers together and Bella turned onto her side so Edward could spoon against her back. His palm ran up and down her bare arm several times before settling onto her shoulder and lightly kneading.

"Hmmm…" Bella sighed contently, nuzzling back into him.

Edward groaned.

"Lie still," he scolded. "If you want me to be quiet you have got to stop moving your sweet little ass against me like that."

Bella actually blushed.

"Sorry. I wasn't thinking."

Edward groaned again.

"You just don't know what you do to me, baby," he told her affectionately. "Sweet dreams, sweetheart."

They were both quiet and Edward just let himself enjoy the feel and scent of her soft skin. As much as it tortured him not to be able to do more, he wouldn't trade being with her like this for anything. He started planning ways that they could spend time together without giving their relationship away. Bella was right that there was no reason to make Charlie suspicious. If keeping their secret for a little longer meant he might get more nights with her like this, it was definitely worth it.

"Edward?" Bella whispered after several minutes. "I can't sleep."

Edward smiled against her hair. "Why can't you sleep, baby? Are you worried about bad dreams?"

"Not with you here."

"Then what is it?" he asked gently.

"I'm just thinking about tomorrow. What are we going to do? I mean, what are your plans and how am I going to get to see you?"

"I've been thinking about that too. What would you think of spending the day with Emmett and Rosalie?"

"OK, I guess. But, why?"

"Well, Emmett already knows about us. It probably wouldn't be fair if we asked him to keep it from Rosalie… unless you don't want her to know."

"No, I don't mind. I think she already suspects anyway and it's not good for them to keep secrets. I don't want to risk anything coming between them. She's good for Em."

"That's what I thought too. So, if we hang out with them we can be ourselves," Edward went on. "We could act like any other couple, as long as we weren't in public."

"Like any other couple… I like that!"

"Good, I thought you would." Edward gave her a squeeze, glad that he had brightened her mood.

"We should go somewhere that isn't public. So we don't have to worry."

Edward thought a moment. "We could go hiking. I know a beautiful place."

"Do you WANT me to sprain my ankle?"

"I won't let you fall. I promise."

"OK," Bella agreed. "You'd better not. You know it is in the 'Good Boyfriend Handbook' that you can't let your girlfriend fall, right?"

Edward smiled. "I think I remember reading that now that you mention it."

They were both quiet for another minute before Bella sighed in frustration.

"Well, now I'm too excited to sleep," she announced as she started to slide out of bed.

"Where are you going?"

"If you are taking me on a dangerous trek tomorrow, I'd better be rested. I'm going to get some Tylenol PM so I can sleep," she informed him as she walked across the room.

Bella paused to listen before turning the lock and opening the door. She quickly padded down the hall to the bathroom and grabbed the blue and white bottle. Swallowing two pills with a glass of water, she turned and padded back towards her room.

"Everything OK?" Rene asked, suddenly appearing at the top of the stairs.

"Oh, yeah, mom," Bella replied, trying to look relaxed and not panicked. "I just decided to try the Tylenol after all."

Rene took a step closer and Bella pressed her back against her closed door cautiously.

"I'm glad, honey. You need some sleep. Everything will seem better in the morning."

"Thanks mom," Bella replied as she watched her mom walk towards her own room.

"And, Bella?" Rene turned around and looked at her daughter again. "Make sure he is out of the house _before_ your father gets up in the morning."

Damn! How did moms always know?


	14. Text Me

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

* * *

Enemy Mine

Chapter 14: "Text Me"

"And, Bella?" Rene turned around and looked at her daughter again. "Make sure he is out of the house _before_ your father gets up in the morning."

Damn! How did moms always know?

Bella nodded mutely, her face a bit stunned. Thankfully, Rene didn't make another comment before walking away again.

Well, that was interesting. How did her mom figure out she and Edward were together? And she didn't even seem surprised! Weird.

"What is that look all about?"

Bella looked up at the sound of Edward's voice. She didn't even remember walking back into her room.

"What look?" she asked

"The one that is a cross between guilt and trying to solve a really difficult math problem."

"Is that what I look like?" she asked, crawling back into bed beside him. "I guess that's a good way to describe it. My mom just basically told me she knows you are sleeping in my room and she doesn't care as long as my dad doesn't find out."

Edward's hand paused half way as he pulled the covers over her. Bella took one look at the panic on his face and couldn't stop the laugh that burst out.

"Now who's wearing a funny expression? You look like someone about who just ate a rotten fish sandwhich and is about to jump off a cliff. Sick _and _scared!"

"Very accurate," Edward admitted. "How the hell could she not care that we are sleeping together?"

"Well… we're not _sleeping together_ in _that_ way."

Edward's face shifted into a grin. "Only because they came home."

Bella blushed. "True."

"Maybe that's it," Edward said. "Maybe she figures it's a little late to worry about that now. Or, she knows we aren't dumb enough to actually _sleep together_ while they are in the house."

"Or brave enough."

"That too."

"She should still have been shocked, though," Bella agreed. "It was almost like she expected it."

"Maybe she did."

"How?"

"For the same reason that Rosalie won't be surprised when Emmett tells her," Edward explained. "Maybe your mom saw what everyone else missed and she had an idea of what was really between us all along."

"But Rosalie hasn't seen us fighting for years so she didn't know better."

Edward looked at her curiously. "And your mom _does_ know better?"

"I mean," Bella explained as she put her hand on his cheek to soothe any defensiveness, "That the last thing I said as my parents dropped me off at your house was 'Maybe I'll be lucky and Edward will be gone for the week – or better yet, gone for the rest of the year!"

"Ouch!" Edward brought his hand to his chest.

"Harsh, I know! That's why I find it hard to imagine mom saw something between us other than animosity."

Edward was still looking at her in mock offense. "I'm really wounded that you said that!"

"Well, my mom's response was to tell me to be nice to you. Have I been nice enough?" Bella ended her question by running her toes along his bare calf. The hair on his leg tickled and she raised her foot to rub against the back of his knee. "Have I?"

Edward refused to let himself groan, but he rolled his body over until she was pinned on her back beneath him.

That was a big MISTAKE!

Their bodies were suddenly pressed together; thigh to thigh, chest to chest, stomach to stomach, groin to groin…

They both gasped at the contact and it was impossible to know whose mouth moved first, but they were suddenly kissing like they had been starved for weeks. Their bodies rocked and rubbed together as they tried to get closer. In only seconds they were completely out of control. How was it possible to crave another person so badly like this? How had they managed to fight this need for as long as they had?

They continued to kiss like this for a long time. Somehow they managed to keep their clothes on but just barely. Bella's short night gown was pushed up to her breasts, causing her smooth stomach to touch his bare chest. She torn her mouth away as she gasped, trying to catch her breath. Edward immediately moved to her neck, sucking and biting until she couldn't breathe again.

"Edward," she panted softly. "I… need… you…"

Moving up to kiss her jaw, Edward ground himself into her again and again. He couldn't stop. He needed her too!

"Bella!" he groaned in near pain. "_My_ Bella…"

He heard her whimper as his mouth crashed down on hers again. This was going to happen. They couldn't stop now. They were consumed by each other already. If they could just keep it quiet; just keep the bed still and not make too much noise then…

Edward's mind suddenly screamed at him - _What the hell was he thinking!_

No! Stop! It couldn't happen like this! Not for them. Not for _her!_ She deserved more.

With more strength than he thought he had, Edward pulled himself away from Bella and nearly flew to the other side of the room.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" he exclaimed in a harsh whisper, pacing in tight circles like a caged mountain lion.

Bella sat up panting, as overwhelmed as he was with what had almost happened. She watched Edward pacing as he repeatedly grabbed fistfuls of his hair, pulling hard, all the while hissing curses at himself. His chest was heaving and his excitement was clearly evident below his waistline. She knew he was using a lot of self control at the moment and she was torn between feeling gratitude and disappointment.

"Are you OK?" she asked when his personal tirade still hadn't slowed after several minutes.

Edward looked over at her for the first time and froze. She was sitting up on her knees, her night gown bunched up on her thigh and one strap hanging off her smooth shoulder. Her lips were red and swollen from his kisses and her long hair was slightly tangled around her face.

Edward squeezed his eyes shut and turned away quickly with a groan that sounded more like a growl.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Why do you have to be so damn beautiful?!" he snapped.

"What?" His tone completely contradicted his words and she couldn't decide if she was flattered or irritated.

Edward continued to groan, now pushing against his eyes with his fists.

"Edward, calm down."

"What the fuck do you think I'm trying to do?" he snapped again. "It's not easy with you around."

"Come on," Bella coaxed, trying to hold on to her patience. "You are dangerously close to acting like an asshole again."

"Yeah, well, you aren't the one with blue balls over here."

"I told you we shouldn't kiss any more tonight!"

"I wasn't the only one breaking that rule, if you'll remember, Miss Swan!"

"You're the one who started it, _Mr. Cullen_."

"I was also the one who ended it. And, let me tell you, that was damn hard to do!"

"You think you're the only one suffering?" Bella asked, raising up on her knees and putting both hands on her hips. "Do you have any idea how wet I am because you started something we couldn't finish?"

"How the hell can you be so damn sexy when you're being a total shrew!" Edward turned back and glared at her. "Why the fuck do you have to turn me on when I'm trying to be pissed at you?"

"I've been trying to figure that out for years!" Bella returned his glare. "You're being such an ass right now and I want you so damn much!"

"Don't say shit like that!" Edward hissed. "I'm trying to get some fucking control!"

Bella rolled her eyes. "I think you have plenty of control."

"Then why did I almost just take your virginity with your parents in the next room!"

"Because I wanted you to," Bella whispered softly.

It took Edward a moment to hear what she said. Then he finally stopped pacing and sighed.

It was quiet for a few seconds before Bella giggled. "Are we having a fight?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Edward answered, breaking into a small smile. "If we are then it's a pretty fucked up thing to fight about."

"Our first fight," Bella declared proudly.

"What?" Edward gave her a real smile this time. "I'm pretty sure our first fight was before either of us had a first birthday."

"I mean our first fight as a couple. Our first boyfriend/girlfriend fight."

"I suppose it was. But, damn it, now we can't make up the way we should."

"We'll make up for it later," Bella promised him.

"It's a deal."

Edward was still worked up and pacing around. Bella leaned back and watched him, her smile growing.

"We're a good couple," she declared.

"Yeah?"

"Yes, because we can fight. We never bottle stuff up. And we make up. That's why we are good together."

"Fighting is good?"

"Yes! As long as we make up."

Edward wondered if she was thinking about her parents, but when he looked over he realized her eyes were growing heavy. The Tylenol PM must be taking effect.

"You should get back under the covers, baby. I can tell you are tired."

"Crawl in with me."

"No way," Edward shook his head. "I've tested the limits of my control enough for one night."

Bella pouted but didn't argue with him.

"I'll rest in the chair," he offered, walking over to have a seat in the old rocker next to the window.

"That's not going to be very comfortable."

"Believe me, I'm not going to be very comfortable anywhere tonight!"

Bella almost felt bad for his condition. _Almost_. He wasn't the only unsatisfied one, after all.

"Come on, sweetheart. You're falling asleep sitting up," Edward coxed. "I promise, I will be right here with you all night. Just get some sleep."

The pills were making her groggy and she lay down without another word. She didn't even remember falling asleep. When she awoke several hours later she somehow knew Edward was still in the room even before she opened her eyes. She located his silhouette in the dark, leaning back against the cushion of the rocking chair and breathing through his mouth as he slept. Without being fully alert, Bella slide out of bed and curled up in his lap. Edward instinctively wrapped his arms around her and cradled her as they both slept.

An hour later it was Edward who awoke and found Bella nestled against him. She was cold and shivering in her sleep. Picking her up gently, Edward walked them both to the bed and settled them under the covers. Bella turned into him and tucked her face into his neck while he wrapped himself around her again. They both slept soundly the rest of the night.

"You have to wake up," Bella whispered against Edward's ear when she awoke in the morning. "It's light out already."

Edward mumbled, trying desperately to hold onto sleep. He was dreaming of cradling Bella as she slept and whether it was real or not, he didn't want it to end.

"Come on," Bella laughed softly when Edward grabbed her in his sleep. She let him hold her to his chest, but lifted her face to kiss his chin and cheek. "It's morning. Remember? My father? My father's _gun_?"

Edward groaned and opened his eyes.

"Crap," he muttered. "I do now. What a thought to wake up to."

"I'm sorry," Bella soothed, rubbing his chest and leaning down to kiss his neck. "I don't want you to leave, but I don't want him to catch us either."

"I know. You're right," he sighed. "What time is it?"

"Already 7:30. My dad's an early riser so you'd better hurry."

Edward was already dragging himself out of the bed and searching for his clothes. Bella watched as he pulled his jeans on, leaving them unbuttoned, and started reaching for his shirt.

"It's a lot more fun to watch you get undressed," she told him. "But this is nice too."

"Shrew!" Edward teased. "That's hardly fair. When do I get to watch you undress?"

Bella smirked at him and grabbed the hem of her nightgown as if she was about to pull it over her head.

"Shit! Stop!" Edward panicked. "Baby, don't you dare. Not now!"

Bella started laughing until she fell backwards. Edward realized he'd fallen for her trick and shook his head at himself.

"You're going to pay for that," he promised as he buttoned up his shirt.

Bella was still laughing as he put on his shoes and walked towards the window.

"You can sneak out the front door," she offered.

"Down is easier than up," he explained. "Better not risk getting caught inside the house. But, come here first."

Bella jumped up and went to him, letting him pull her into his arms. Their lips connected as she clasped her hands behind his head. Her fingers spread through his hair and Edward squeezed her ass making her moan softly.

"We'd better stop there for now," Edward said as he released her. "But don't forget where we were."

"Don't worry, I won't." Bella watched him exit her window and leaned her face out into the morning air. "Be careful, and text me when you get home. OK?"

"I will," he promised just before dropping to the ground.

He blew her a kiss and slipped around to the back side of the house. Bella figured he must have parked his car somewhere close by where her father wouldn't see it. Stepping back into the room she located her cell phone and set her text alert to vibrate. She didn't want to go back to sleep and miss his message.

Her eyes were just starting to drift shut when the phone vibrated in her hand.

_Im home Dads car is gone Hope Em covered 4 me_

Bella smiled and typed back to him.

_**U know he did**_

Barely a second after sending her text, Edward's second text came through.

_U OK?_

_**Yes Just miss U**_

Bella cringed. Fuck, she sounded lame. He was going to get a swelled head at this rate, so she quickly sent another text.

_**U kept the bed warm**_

She hoped that didn't sound too suggestive and, shit, she hoped he didn't show that text to Emmett. Before she could stress about that too much, the phone vibrated again.

_U still in bed? Lazy girl, did I tire u out?_

_**Your giant ego made the bed crowded**_

_That wasn't my ego…_

Bella gasped when she read that last text and had to stifle her laughter.

_**Cant believe you typed that!!!**_

_R U blushing? Wish I could see_

_**Bite me!**_

_Wish I could do that 2_

Bella gave in and groaned, laying back on the bed. She knew she was grinning ear to ear because she could feel the tight pull on her cheeks. No one made her smile like Edward.

_**Me 2… in several places…**_

Take that! Bella thought as she sent her teasing text back to him. She could imagine the look on his face when he read it and could almost hear his answering groan.

_Well FUCK!_

His reply made her burst out laughing, loudly. No use pretending she was still asleep now. The parental unit surly had heard that.

_**Going to take shower now**_

_U trying to kill me?_

It took Bella a moment to understand what Edward's comment meant and she laughed again. That time she really hadn't meant to sound suggestive.

_**Just go wake Em & tell him to call Rose**_

_OK Text me when out of shower_

_**B4 or after I get dressed?**_

_Fuck! U R a shrew!_

_**OK B4 ;)**_

_**C**__amera phone?_

_**Shut up**_

Bella flipped her phone closed and got up to shower. She was still chuckling to herself when she almost bumped into her mom in the hallway.

"Morning!" she said brightly.

"Good morning to you, too," Rene replied with a knowing look. "Everything OK?"

The sideways glance into her bedroom didn't escape Bella's notice.

"Just me, alone in my room, getting up to start my day," Bella told her, still smiling. "Nothing to worry about."

"Glad to hear it," Rene smiled back. "You're looking much better today."

"Thanks, mom," Bella hoped she knew her gratitude was for more than the compliment.

"I like seeing you look so happy, honey. Any fun plans today?"

Before Bella could answer, her father's voice came from downstairs. "Rene! Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"If he really wanted to talk to me you think he'd walk upstairs to where I am…" Rene muttered under her breath.

"Mom..?"

Rene realized the joy on her daughter's face had clouded over with concern and regretted speaking her thoughts out loud.

"Oh, don't pay me any attention, honey. I haven't had my coffee yet this morning," she said, kissing Bella's forehead. "Why don't I go make us all some pancakes. Would you like that?"

Bella didn't think her mom's cooking was going to ever make a situation better, but she could tell she was trying so she just smiled and nodded before walking into the bathroom. Her phone started vibrating as soon as she had closed the door.

_**Out of the shower yet?**_

_Not even in yet_

_**Girls r slow**_

_Girls r clean_

_**True - & smell good U smell good ALWAYS**_

Bella grinned at the phone. Damn if she didn't have the urge to just kiss the receiver. She was so pathetic now, but she didn't even care.

_**Em's asleep Im bored**_

_Wake him_

_**U want me 2 poke the bear?**_

_Yes & make him call Rose Going 2 shower now_

_**FUCK**_

With another giggle she set the phone on the counter and slipped off her night gown. She could hear the phone vibrate several times while she washed her hair but she didn't want to get it wet by trying to grab it. When she had finished and toweled off she checked her messages. The phone had been idle long enough that she had to type the security code to unlock it. When her text box popped up she instantly started laughing at the last one Edward had sent.

_**SOB - Im a needy BF now! SHIT! I suck at this!**_

His previous text messages had been informing her that Rosalie had already stopped by and was waking Emmett up, followed by several messages asking if she was done yet. Bella ignored those, and answered his last message first.

_U do not suck! Your GF misses u 2_

_**U dressed?**_

_1 track mind, Cullen! _

_**2 tacks! Also wondering if u r wet?**_

_U mean from shower… or something else?_

_**FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! **_

_Going 2 get dressed _

_**U r killing me!**_

_Shut up_

Bella was still laughing when she got into her room and started grabbing her jeans and a T-shirt. The weather was so unpredictable this week that she didn't know if it was going to be warm or cold on their hike, so she decided she'd better take her hoodie and be prepared to layer up.

Her phone buzzed again and she rolled her eyes with a grin. It was nice to be missed. Punching the unlock code she read Edward's latest text.

_**Have hiking boots**_?

_No_

_**Why?**_

_Alice says bad fashion_

_**Safety first**_

_Have u MET Alice?_

At the thought of her best friend, Bella felt a twinge of regret. This was supposed to be their girls week they spent together. As much as she loved the time she was spending with Edward now, she still wished Alice could be a part of it. It just didn't feel right.

_**Sorry**_

She wasn't sure if Edward's text had been in reply for not having thought about the boots earlier, or if he was reading her mind from across town.

_Is Al home now?_

_**Sleeping**_

_OK_

_**U ready?**_

Bella smiled again and pushed her concerns about Alice aside.

_U anxious 2 C me, Cullen?_

_**Just bored, Swan!**_

_Such denial_

_**Shrew! Can I come get u now?**_

_Maybe I should come there_

"Bella! Can you come down here?" Charlie's voice carried up the stairs.

_Dad calling – BRB_

Stepping into her sneakers quickly and grabbing her hoodie off the back of her chair, Bella yelled back at her dad.

"I'll be right down."

She clipped her cell phone to her waist as she trotted down the stairs. She found her parents in the kitchen. Her mom was flipping pancakes at the grill, which explained the burnt toast smell in the house, and her dad was grumbling into his cup of coffee at the table.

"Morning all!" Bella chimed, sweeping the refrigerator door open to grab the orange juice.

When no one answered her, she turned to around to see her parents eying each other knowingly. Neither looked happy.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Rene kept her eyes on Charlie's face a moment longer before turning back to the grill.

"Just wait and see," she said, clearly still speaking to her husband.

"Wait and see what?" Bella reached for a glass cautiously, picking up a bit late on the massive tension in the room.

"You mother isn't happy with the plans I've made for us today," Charlie replied. "She doesn't trust me."

"You want to talk about trust?" Rene snap, turning around and shaking the spatula at him like a gavel.

"It's just breakfast, Rene!"

"You know it is a lot more than that, Charlie."

Bella wanted to ask them both what the hell was going on, but the door bell rang before she could say anything. Charlie jumped up to answer it, leaving the room quickly without another word. Bella thought about following to see who had stopped by, but her cell phone vibrated at her waist stopping her. She flipped it open to read Edward's message.

_**U OK?**_

Her fingers quickly started to type a reply but her father came back into the room before she could send it.

"We have guests, Bells," he told her with forced cheerfulness. "Billy and Jacob came over for breakfast."

It was only then that Bella recognized the sound of Billy's wheel chair moving across the hard wood floors. Her hand was still clutching her phone, shaking now, and her eyes were fixated on the unsent message typed across the screen. She didn't want to look up.

"Bella?" Charlie prompted again, irritated this time.

The whole room was slowly freezing as the tension built. Bella already felt frozen, her teeth were literally chattering with nerves as she clenched her jaw shut.

It was Billy's voice that broke the strained silence. "It's good to see you, Bella. It's been a while."

Bella started to raise her head when her phone vibrated in her hand again. She wanted to read Edward's message, but she still couldn't move. The phone vibrated a second time and Charlie started to reach for it.

"Give me that!" he griped, moving to snatch her phone. "Bella that's rude. We have guests!"

Bella quickly pulled her hand back so her father couldn't take the phone, but the action also brought her face up. She saw her father's eyes glaring disapprovingly in front of her. Behind him, though, in her peripheral vision, Bella saw Jacob.

A little gasp escaped her lips as Bella instinctively took a step backwards. She felt raw and exposed. She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to hear his voice. She wasn't ready for this.

Rene stepped forward and put her hand on Bella's shoulder. "Charlie, I'm not sure this is such a good idea," she pleaded.

Charlie took a step back and tried to look casual. "What?" he said innocently. "We're all friends here."

"What's going on?" Billy asked in confusion. "This isn't about that little incident at the Cullen's, is it?"

Bella's head snapped in Billy's direction. She could feel her face growing hot with humiliation. She couldn't believe he had brought that up in front of everyone.

"That was nothing," Billy went on.

"Nothing?" Bella whispered, staring at him with wide eyes.

Billy waved his hand through the air in a nonchalant manner. "Forget it," he told her. "That wasn't your fault. It was that Cullen boys doing."

"What?" Bella asked again, shaking her head in horror.

"That Cullen boy," Billy explained. "Edward, wasn't it? He was the one who hurt Jacob, not you. I know you were there and all, and you were probably the reason he did it, but we don't blame you. Do we, son?"

"No, dad. I don't blame Bella."

It was the first time Jacob had spoken, and Bella found herself looking up at him without her control. His dark brown eyes squinted above her bandaged nose and he gave her a smile. She thought she would vomit, but she couldn't seem to look away.

The phone in her hand vibrated again.

"Damn it, Bella! Give me that!" Charlie grabbed Bella's phone out of her hand before she could react.

The speed of his movement along with the fear of seeing Jacob again started Bella into a panic. She jumped back with a quick scream, falling into the counter behind her.

"Charlie!" Rene yelled, putting an arm around her daughter. "That is enough!"

"What?!" Charlie yelled back, no longer concealing his anger.

Bella put her hand over her mouth and tried to move out of the room, but realized the Blacks were blocking her way. She turned towards the back door instead.

"Where do you think you are going?" Charlie called after her.

"I feel sick!" Bella said softly, holding back a sob. "I don't want breakfast."

"Isabella Marie, you stay where you are," Charlie told her. "We invited the Blacks over for breakfast and you are being very rude to them."

Bella whirled around and glared at him. "I didn't invite them!" she mumbled with a quivering voice.

Charlie's face started to turn purple in anger. The phone in his hand vibrated again.

"Damn it! Who the hell keeps calling you?" he opened the phone, but the screen only said LOCKED.

"Give it to me!" Bella held out her hand.

"No. You can go a few hours without talking to your friends," her dad told her as he set her phone on top of the refrigerator. "You can have it back after we eat breakfast. All of us! Together."

"NO!" Bella yelled. Fuck, it felt good to yell so she did it again. "No! I am not going to have breakfast with… _him_!"

Bella's arm was stretched all the way out pointing at Jacob accusingly. The room went silent again for a moment until Jacob spoke again.

"Me? What the hell did I do?" he asked innocently.

Bella was stunned. She didn't even know how to answer that. What had he done? How could he ask that? How could she put into words what he had done to her? What _had_ he done? She knew what Edward would say if he was here. What he would say Jacob had done.

"He tried to kiss you, Bella," Billy offered gently. "I know. He told me that. But you can't blame a boy for wanting to kiss a pretty girl, right Charlie?"

Charlie grinned back at Billy. It was a nervous grin, but he was still smiling at a time like this. "I guess we've all been guilty of that, old friend," he agreed.

"I'm sorry you don't feel the same way about Jacob," Billy sighed.

Charlie nodded and agreed again. "It would be something if it worked out between you two. The families have always been close."

"But we can't make it happen, Charlie. At least my boy gave it a shot."

"Gave it a shot?" Bella repeated in disbelief. "That's what you call it? I told him NO!"

"He's the one with the broken nose, Bella," Charlie informed her. "Can't you just let it go?"

"Don't worry about the nose, Charlie," Jacob suddenly spoke up. "It was totally worth it."

At that comment, all three of the men laughed.

They _laughed!_

"This isn't FUNNY!!!" Bella shrieked at them, suddenly crying her eyes out. "You bastards! All of you! How can you laugh at this?"

Charlie suddenly realized how upset his daughter was. His eyes narrowed at her in concern and he took a step forwards.

"Bella… ?" he started a little more gently. "What is wrong with you?"

She tried to look up at her father but couldn't see his face through her tears. Her phone vibrated loudly on top of the refrigerator, breaking into the tense silence again. She knew Edward was trying to text her; worrying because she wasn't responding.

Bella thought about how Edward had spoken to her the other night, assuring her that she wasn't over reacting. He had seen what Jacob had done, and he said he was proud of her. She knew how furious he'd be when he learned what Jacob was saying now, but Bella wasn't going to let him get away with it again. Jacob couldn't lie to her, and he couldn't make her lie to herself. They _both_ knew what he had done!

"There is nothing wrong with me! Nothing!" she yelled back at her dad. "But what the hell is wrong with YOU?!" Bella stared up at Charlie, tears streaming down her face as she shook her head. "You are my dad! My DAD! What the hell is wrong with you? How can you defend him?"

"Bella, just calm down," Charlie tried to sound soothing but his irritation was still coming through. "I don't understand what has gotten into you. Why are you acting this way? Billy and Jacob are our friends."

"Friends!?" Bella screamed through her tears. "Jacob is NOT my friend. He is a disgusting pig!"

"Bells, come on. That was just mean," Charlie scolded more sternly now. "What has Jacob done to deserve that?"

"What has Jacob done? What has he DONE!? He tried to rape me!!!"

Fuck that felt good to finally say!

"Do you hear me, dad?! He tried to rape me! Jacob tried to rape me!!!" Bella continued to scream at her dad, feeling stronger each time she confessed the truth.

Charlie recoiled from her words as if he had been shot. He stared in horror at his daughter's face shaking his head as if he could unheard her words. The look on his face showed pain and grief and even sadness, but not anger. Bella only had a second to process that her father showed no anger before he shattered her with his response.

"Bella," he said softly, pleadingly. "That's not true."

"What?" she gasped.

"He was only giving you a kiss, honey," Charlie continued sympathetically. "He would never hurt you. You just misunderstood."

Bella was already shaking her head before he could finish. He tried to reach out and put his hand on her shoulder, but she jumped back from his touch.

"Bells, it's OK. I understand now. You just got confused and I'm sorry. But Jacob is a _good_ kid. And, you gotta know I'd never let anyone hurt you."

Bella continued to stare at her father as she spoke.

"I hate you," was all she said.

The room was silent again but the echoes of her screams still seemed to vibrate through the air. Charlie looked at Bella with confusion that slowly narrowed into a glare. Now his face showed anger, but only at her.

"You are acting like a child," he snapped.

"Go. To. Hell." Bella hissed the words at him and backed further away. "I'm out of here. I can't stay here."

Rene stepped between them and looked towards her daughter in sympathy and fear. "Bella… Bella, it's OK…"

"No, mom! It is NOT OK. Stop fucking saying things are OK. Nothing is OK. Nothing!"

Rene tried to put her hand on Bella's arm, but she jerked it away.

"Don't touch me!" she cried, looking at both parents. "Don't either of you touch me! I'm sick of both of you! I'm leaving! I'm going back to the Cullens."

The thought of Edward made her realize that her phone had stopped vibrating. She instinctively knew that wasn't a good sign.

"You are not going back to the Cullens," Charlie said. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Aren't you and Alice still fighting?" Rene put in, trying to help Bella realize she wasn't making sense.

"So what!? The Cullens like me. They'll _want_ me there! And I can't take it here any more," Bella insisted.

"You see what you've done?!" Rene shrieked at her husband. "She was happy this morning. Happier than I've seen her in a long time! I told you this would happen. I begged you to leave it alone, but you wouldn't. And, now look what you've done!"

"Rene, this is hardly the time…"

"When is the time, Charlie? When Bella is gone? When we _both_ are? When are you going to open your eyes?"

"I invited our friends over for breakfast, Rene. How is that a crime?"

"That's all you care about, isn't it? Keeping _your _friends!" Rene accused. "What about your family? Your _daughter_? What about what _she's_ been through?"

"I thought they were _our _friends. When did that change? And I'm doing this for Bella too. I'm the one trying to fix this misunderstanding."

"Damn it, Charlie. I think this is more than a misunderstanding."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Billy suddenly spoke up. "What are you saying, Rene?"

Rene looked uncomfortable as she glanced between Bella and Billy. "I just…" she began. "I just think there was more to it than you seem to think."

"Are you accusing my boy of something?" Billy asked.

Bella suddenly jumped back into the argument. "I'm accusing him of something!" she yelled, scowling at Billy. "Why doesn't anyone care about that? Do you think I'm too stupid to know what happened? I was there, asshole! I'm the one with the bruises!"

Billy looked at Bella, who was shaking his head sorrowfully like he thought she might be crazy.

"I feel sorry for you, Billy," Bella hissed. "You have no idea the bastard you have for a son."

"I'm not going to listen to that kind of talk, young lady."

"He's cruel and selfish and he hurts people," Bella went on, ignoring Billy's warning. "He's a lying son-of-bitch who won't even pretend to be sorry for what he tried to do to me."

Jacob was glaring at Bella now, not even bothering to defend himself. It was as if he felt untouchable, but he was still clearly angry at being spoken of this way. His eyes were conveying a warning, but Bella ignored it.

"And as for you," she spoke to Jacob directly for the first time. "_You _know what happened. And you know that _I _know what happened. And Edward knows what happened because he saw you hurting me. You won't get away with this forever."

Jacob shook his head and suddenly changed his expression to one of pity. "I don't know what is wrong with you, Bella. But I think I need to take my father home now."

"Whatever!" Bella said, grabbing her hoodie from the back of the chair. "I'm leaving. Now. So get the fuck out of my way."

As Jacob was moving his dad aside, a car pulled quickly into the driveway.

Oh shit!

Before the engine had even shut off, a door was slammed shut and foot steps were heard on the porch.

Edward must have gotten worried. Had he panicked and come to check on her?

The doorbell rang frantically.

Fuck!

* * *

_**I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I hope you had as much fun reading it! Please let me know if you did!**_

_**~Alexanya**_


	15. Confrontations

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

* * *

Enemy Mine

Chapter 15: "Confrontations"

As Jacob was moving his dad aside, a car pulled quickly into the driveway.

Oh shit!

Before the engine had even shut off, a door was slammed shut and foot steps were heard on the porch.

Edward must have gotten worried. Had he panicked and come to check on her?

The doorbell rang frantically.

Fuck!

_Please don't let that be Edward!_ Bella silently pleaded to herself, the image of a match falling into a gas can flashing through her mind. This could be a bad situation.

"Who the hell is that?" Charlie grumbled making his way out of the kitchen.

Because Jacob and Billy were still blocking her way, Bella couldn't get around them fast enough to race her father to the door. By the time she squeezed passed them, her mom not far behind her, Charlie was already there.

"May I help you?" he asked after opening it and peering at whoever stood on the porch.

He sounded much too polite to be addressing Edward and Bella slowed her steps.

"Hi! Is Bella home?" a friendly, female voice replied to Charlie.

"Um… she is…" he stammered a bit and squinted his eyes in confusion. "She's kind of busy…."

"Oh. Well, we were supposed to get together today. Is it OK if I come in?"

Before he could recover enough to give another lame excuse, Charlie found himself pushed aside by the girl who obviously took it as a given that she'd be welcomed.

"Rosalie!" Bella exclaimed when the tall blond stepped into the room.

"Hi Bella!" Rosalie smiled back. "Are we still on for today?"

Bella looked at her in confusion.

"Bella," Rene said, coming up behind her daughter and putting a hand on her shoulder. "You didn't tell me you had plans today."

Bella instantly jerked away from her mom's touch. "You didn't give me a chance."

Rosalie wasn't oblivious to the tension she'd walked into. Flipping her long hair behind her shoulder with the air of confidence only someone who knows they are gorgeous can really have, she stepped towards Rene and held out her hand.

"Hi," she spoke and smiled with friendliness. "I'm Rosalie."

Rene smiled back, trying not to appear as awkward as she felt as she took her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Rosalie. Do you and Bella go to school together?"

"Sadly, no. I go to Saint Mary's Academy. But Bella and I met at the Cullens' party last weekend." A strange vibe went through the room at the mention of the Cullens, but Rosalie didn't seem affected by it. "We just totally hit it off!" she continued. "Bella and her friends are so cool. I wish I could go to public school, but my father's is a real tyrant."

Rosalie's chattering gave Bella a moment to calm down. She still didn't understand why Rosalie was there, but she knew she should just go with it. All she wanted was to get the hell out of that house.

"So, are you ready to go?" Bella asked Rosalie, pulling on her hoodie to stress the fact she was leaving.

"Bella, we aren't finished here," Charlie told her sternly.

"Fine, dad. You continue all you want," Bella replied in a hostile tone. "But, I have plans with _my_ friend. And I really have nothing left to say to you."

Moving quickly Bella ushered Rosalie to the door without another glance at anyone in the room.

"Bella…" she heard her father's warning tone behind her, but didn't turn.

"Just let her go, Charlie," Rene told him with a defeated sigh. "You've already lost her."

Rene's last words caused a lump in Bella's throat, despite her anger, but she wouldn't let herself wavier or slow down.

Rosalie stepped onto the porch first and Bella slammed the door behind her. Neither of them spoke as they walked across the damp grass to climb into Rosalie's car. As soon as the tires spun onto the road, kicking up mud behind them, Rosalie turned to Bella in concern.

"Shit, are you all right?" Rosalie asked. "Edward is completely freaking out!"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the boy is having a melt-down because you stopped answering his text messages and he was convinced something was wrong." Rosalie glanced between Bella and the road several times waiting to see if she had anything to say to that, but Bella stilled seemed confused. "I thought he was totally over-reacting, but looking at you now I'm not so sure. You still haven't answered if you are all right."

"Not really," Bella told her, still reeling from the confrontation she'd just left.

"It's OK," Rosalie told her in a voice that was meant to be comforting. She wasn't the type to offer comfort often but was trying to now. "We'll be at the Cullens in a few minutes. Edward is waiting for you there."

It took a moment for that last statement to register with Bella, but then she gave her new friend an accusing look. "How long have you known?" she asked strait out.

Rosalie smirked. "Since the night of the party."

"When we kissed?" Bella blushed slightly as she tried to confirm what Rosalie meant but, to her surprise, Rosalie laughed.

"No, before that," Rosalie informed Bella. "I knew the first time I met you, almost as soon as you walked into the room."

"What!?"

"Edward is a sweet guy, Bella," Rosalie started to explain, "And I liked you instantly. There was no reason two nice people would cultivate a hatred like that for years unless it was masking something else. Plus," she shrugged, "I saw the way you looked at each other."

Bella gapped at her. "How did we look at each other?" she asked.

"Constantly."

"What does that mean?"

"You two were constantly looking at each other," she explained. "You started scanning the room as soon as you got to the Cullens. When you located Edward you scowled, but you didn't look away." Rosalie turned to grin at Bella, "Don't worry," she told her with a wink, "He was worse than you. His eyes followed you everywhere. And he always, _always,_ found a reason to go where you were or talk to you. For two people who insisted they loathed one another, you certainly found enough things to say to each other."

Bella wondered for a moment if Rosalie thought she and Edward had been faking it even at the party, but decided it didn't really matter.

"Fighting or not," Rosalie continued. "He can never seem to stay away from you. I guess that's why I thought he was just over-reacting when Emmett and I stopped him from racing over to your house. I mean, just because you'd suddenly stopped texting him that didn't mean you were in trouble. To tell you the truth, I thought he was being a little possessive, wanting to rush to you just because he hadn't talked to you in like 45 minutes. That's crazy!"

Rosalie paused and, again, Bella let the silence hang without adding anything.

"He kept insisting something was wrong, though," Rosalie finally spoke again. "Guess he knew what he was talking about after all because… well… you look a little shook up, Bella."

Bella nodded, not even trying to hide it. "I am," she confessed. "Thanks for coming to check on me."

"Oh, I didn't mind," Rosalie smiled. "Emmett was busy body-blocking Edward from the door. He said Chief Swan would probably lock Edward's ass up if he got lose and ran to your house. That's your dad, right?"

"What? Oh, yeah, my dad is Chief Swan. I'm sorry, I guess I didn't really introduce you. I just needed to get the hell out of there, you know?"

"Yeah, I could tell it wasn't a good time," Rosalie told her. "Em told me earlier that you kind of had it rough right now. He wouldn't break a confidence, you know, but I can tell he is worried about you."

For some reason, the thought of Emmett worrying about her suddenly made Bella cry.

"Shit, I'm sorry. Did I say something?" Rosalie asked in alarm when she saw Bella's lip quivering and tears quickly staining her face.

Bella shook her head and sniffed. "You are being nice. You and Em are so… You're good friends."

"And that makes you cry?" Rosalie asked, trying to sound understanding even though she didn't understand.

"I just haven't had a lot of friends come through for me lately," Bella tried to explain. "Sometimes I feel like I can't really count on anyone… except Edward."

Rosalie thought she might understand this part a little better. "Your parents? Your dad?" she asked.

"My dad doesn't give a shit about me," Bella hissed.

It didn't seem like a statement that anyone should try to contradict.

"Well," Rosalie started cautiously, "Edward sure does. He's really worried about you."

"I'm surprised he hasn't been texting you for an update." Bella tried to smile.

"I don't have my own phone. My father is a tyrant, remember?"

"Then he is probably still freaking out."

"Oh, I'm sure he is." Rosalie stepped a little harder on the gas.

Since Rosalie drove at the same maniac speeds that Edward seemed to like, they were at the Cullens' house a few minutes later. Both boys were waiting outside the garage, Edward pacing while Emmett appeared to be standing guard over him. It had been less than two hours since Edward had climbed out of Bella's bedroom window, and she felt like she hadn't seen him in days. He stopped pacing when he saw them pull up and Bella jumped out before the Rosalie even stopped the car.

Edward could see immediately that Bella had been crying. Her face was red and tear-stained and she started running to him like she was about the break down again at any moment.

Shit! He had hopped he'd been over reacting and there had been a simple reason for her sudden silence. A reason that didn't involve her being hurt again.

When she reached him, Bella buried her face in Edward's chest and let him wrap his arms around her. As soon as she felt his secure warmth and smelled his familiar scent, she relaxed against him. The tears were flowing again, but they were calmer this time.

"What happened?" Edward asked, folding himself around her so his face was nearly pressed into her neck. "Are you all right?"

When she didn't reply, Edward looked up at Rosalie pleadingly.

"I don't know for sure," Rosalie tried to answer him. "She was fighting with her parents when I got there. Her dad especially. And there were some other guys there too…"

"What other guys?" Edward snapped. "What did they look like?"

"From the reservation, I think. One was in a wheel chair and the younger one had some kind of bandage on his face."

"Son-of-a-bitch!" Emmett cursed from behind Rosalie.

"What?" she asked. "What's going on?"

Edward was clutching Bella even harder now, his breathing picking up until he sounded like a monster truck revving up to smash something.

"I think she's just really upset," Rosalie tried to assure him. "She's not hurt or anything."

"Not this time," Emmett muttered in anger.

Rosalie turned to look at him. "What does that mean?"

"Emmett!" Edward's said in a low, warning tone.

"No, it's OK." Bella's voice came out muffled by Edward's shirt. She knew he was trying to protect her privacy but it didn't seem fair to leave Rosalie in the dark. "I'm OK, Edward," Bella tried to sound convincing as she pulled back slightly. "Just shaken up. But Jacob didn't do anything. I mean, he didn't touch me this time."

Her meaning wasn't lost on Rosalie. "This time?" she repeated quietly. "Shit, Bella. Shit, I'm so sorry!"

Bella turned around so she was leaning her back against Edward's chest and he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Thanks, Rosalie," she said softly, trying to fight her embarrassment. "I… um… I'm OK. It's just… um… well, a few nights ago… that guy who was at my house…"

A shutter went through Bella's body and Edward leaned closer to kiss the side of her neck.

"It's OK," he whispered so only she could hear. "I've got you."

Bella's hand gripped his forearm tightly while she took a moment to collect herself again.

"He… um… tried to hurt me," she finally managed to get out. "But Edward stopped him… in time…"

That was all she could manage get out, so she just bit her lip and let the tears come down again. There seemed to be too many emotions to feel all at once.

"Damn it, Bella, I'm so sorry," Rosalie said again. "I can't believe Edward didn't kill him."

"Well, you saw the damage to that punks face," Emmett put in. "My little bro did that. And the only reason we haven't put that mother-fucker in the hospital is because Bella won't let us."

"I don't want you guys getting into trouble because of me," Bella said softly. "My dad is already looking for a reason to harass you two, especially Edward."

"What? Why?!" Rosalie blurted out before she could stop herself. "I mean, Edward helped you."

"My dad doesn't think I needed help," Bella said bitterly. "I guess he thinks Edward should have stayed out of it."

Rosalie gaped at her. "What the hell? That doesn't make sense. How could he…"

"Look out!" Emmett yelled as he quickly pulled Rosalie out of the way just as a terracotta flower pot full of new primroses came crashing down where she had been standing.

Everyone looked up at once to see Alice standing on the balcony of the second floor, leaning so far over the railing that she had knocked the pot off.

"Alice!" Bella gasped, realizing she had been listening to their entire conversation.

Before anyone else could speak, Alice turned and ran back into the house.

Bella broke out of Edward's arms and started racing inside the garage, the others following behind her. She burst through the back door just as Alice reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Alice!" Bella yelled again. "What right do you have to eavesdrop on other people's conversations?"

Alice looked stunned and her voice sounded sad. "Bella, I…"

"If I have something to say to you, I will fucking say it TO you! You don't get to decide what you do and don't know about me. That's my decision!"

Edward came to stand beside her, with Emmett and Rosalie crowding in behind. Alice looked at the three of them before looking back at Bella pleadingly.

"I had no idea, Bells."

"Saved it, Al!" Bella snapped. "I don't want to talk to you! And I sure as hell don't want to hear how sorry you _now._"

"Bella, please," Alice continued as she followed Bella into the kitchen.

"What, Al? What do you want!"

"I want you to talk to me."

Bella's laugh was full of pain. "Bull shit!" she declared. "You don't give a damn what I have to say. You just want to satisfy your own morbid curiosity. Well, fuck that!"

"How can you say that, Bella? You're my best friend! Why didn't you tell me what happened with Jacob. Oh, shit! I'm so, so, sorry, Bells!"

"I told you I didn't want to hear that!!!" Bella screamed at Alice so loudly her face turned red. "You never listen to a damn thing I have to say! You never give a damn what I need from you! Just shut up, Alice! Shut up! I'm so fucking sick of listening to YOU!"

Alice's face crumbled at Bella's words, but Bella didn't care. Huge sobs started wracking her body and she clutched herself around the middle unable to control them.

Edward was at her side in a second, pulling her against him fiercely. The dam of emotions inside f her finally broke and she wailed into his chest as he rocked her frantically making shushing sounds and murmuring calming words into her hair.

The site of Bella's pain was heartbreaking to watch. Neither Emmett no Rosalie were prone to crying, but they both found their eyes were moist. A silent tear was trailing down Alice's cheek as she stood shaking her head. Eventually Bella's sobbing stopped but Edward continued to hold and rock her.

"I would have been there for you, Bella," Alice finally spoke, breaking the long silence that had fallen on the room. "If you had come to me, I swear I would have been there for you."

"Like you were there for me when I asked you to go to Jacob's party with me?" Bella asked without looking up from Edward's chest.

"What?" Alice replied, a sick feeling suddenly settling in her stomach.

"I begged you to go with me, Al. Remember? I begged you to come to the barbecue with me because I didn't want to be alone with Jacob." Bella turned slightly to look Alice squarely in the eyes. "But you had better things to do. So don't stand there and tell me you'd be there for me because, the fact is, you weren't"

Bella's words seemed to hang in the air. No one had anything to say and all watched Alice expectantly.

"OK," Alice said, "I deserve that. And I will never forgive myself for not going with you when you asked. But, Bella, why didn't you come to me afterwards?"

"It doesn't work like that. It's not just something you can fix after the fact."

"I could have helped."

"You didn't want to!" Bella told her. "I thought about telling you, Al, but I honestly didn't think you wanted to be bothered with me. You were too busy with yourself."

"Hey, that's not fair! You didn't give me the chance!"

"Damn it, Alice!" Edward snapped. "This isn't about _you_!"

"I'm not even talking to you, Edward!" Alice snapped back. "I'm so furious with you for keeping me in the dark…"

"Don't you dare, Alice!" Bella yelled. "None of this is his fault! I'm not going to let anyone put any more blame on him. Don't you dare be mad at Edward because he was there for me when you weren't!"

"But, Bella, I'm your best friend. Your BFF."

"If you were really my BFF, you'd care more about _me_. You'd be grateful that I have Edward. You'd be grateful to him for helping me. Hell, you'd at least be grateful that he pulled Jacob off of me!"

Alice gasped. "Fuck, Bella! I didn't think…" she stammered, shaking her head. "Edward actually pulled Jacob off of you? He was actually… I mean…"

"He tried to rape me, Alice! What do you want, a fucking diagram? He hurt me, OK?" Bella continued to yell. "But he could have hurt me worse – a hell of a lot worse! – if it wasn't for Edward. So don't you dare be mad at him for anything!"

Alice was still shaking her head in shock when Bella finally stopped her tirade. Silent tears were still spilling down Bella's face and Edward reached around from behind, trying to wipe her wet cheeks with his fingers. Rosalie moved timidly to the sink and soaked a clean wash cloth with warm water. She wrung it out and handed it to Edward without a sound.

Alice took a shuttering breath. "Bella…"

"Alice," Edward interrupted her in a low tone that sounded a bit threatening. "If you want to prove you ever gave a damn about Bella, do it now. Leave her alone."

Without waiting for Alice to reply, Edward turned Bella towards him gently and began running the warm cloth soothingly over her face. He heard Alice's pixie footsteps moving out of the room, followed by the sound of the patio door, but he didn't look away from Bella.

"We'll give you a minute too," Rosalie added in a quiet voice as she pulled Emmett towards the stairs.

Bella's eyes were closed as Edward ran the warm cloth over them and across her lips. It was the most soothing sensation and her body began to relax almost immediately. His touch calmed and warmed her after her outburst had left her completely spent.

When she could sense that they were alone, she opened her eyes to look up at him. The expression on her face conveyed all the trust and adoration she felt in that moment. As Edward stared back at her he couldn't help leaning down to place light kisses on her forehead and eye lids. She tilted her head back and his lips caressed along her cheek bone and down her jaw line to her mouth.

They kissed very softly, tenderly, as Edward continued to stroke her face and neck with the warm cloth. They both got lost in the feel of their lips playing gently against each other. The passion between them was always there, but there was so much more to these kisses. There was comfort and assurance and promises that Bella couldn't even name right now but knew they were there. And there was peace.

Damn, how long had it been since she'd felt this at peace?

Through the small kitchen window off of the patio Alice could see them. She hadn't intended to watch, but something about the way they touched each other seemed to hold her in place. There was so much care and affection between them it was almost… beautiful. How could she have missed this? And, fuck, what else had she missed? She felt out of place and off balanced in the worst way. But, most of all, she felt deeply ashamed.

Neither Bella nor Edward heard as Alice walked off the patio and around the garage to her car. It was hard to say how much time had passed as they stood there together before the not-so-subtle clearing of a throat finally broke them apart. Edward and Bella both looked up to see Emmett smirking at them from the kitchen doorway with Rosalie rolling her eyes affectionately beside him.

"So, are we feeling better?" Emmett asked hopefully.

Bella laughed just a little. It was nearly impossible not to laugh around Emmett.

"Yeah," she told him, moving slowly out of Edward's arms. "Sorry for the dramatics, guys. That seems to be my curse these days."

"For shit sake, Bells, don't fucking apologize!" Emmett exclaimed.

Rosalie rolled her eyes again and smiled. "What he said," she agreed. "Only with a little more tact."

"What? What'd I say?"

"Forget it, Em," Bella laughed again, harder this time. "You said exactly the right thing."

Edward smiled at Bella's laughter and reached over to stroke hair. Fuck, he couldn't stop touching her for two seconds.

"We don't have to go hiking today, baby," he told her.

"No, I want to!" Bella insisted, smiling back at him.

"Hiking?" Rosalie suddenly gasped. "Emmett, you said we were going on a fucking picnic, not some half-assed trek up the damn mountains."

Rather than being upset, Emmett beamed at his girlfriend. "You gotta love a nasty mouth on a private school girl."

"Shut up, you dick-head," Rosalie replied, although the grin on her face took the sting out of her words.

This time Bella finally gave a real laugh. "Don't worry, Rose. I'm the klutziest person in Washington State so Edward knows better than to take us down any paths that are too rough. It'll be nice."

"But, what if it rains?" Rosalie continued to protest.

"Oh, come on, Rosie. There isn't a cloud in the sky today. It did all of its raining last night." Emmett insisted.

"It's never done raining in Folks, genius. We'll get wet."

"Come on, babe," Emmett pleaded. "I promise, if one hair on your beautiful head gets even a drop on it, I'll buy you a… um… something…"

"You'll let me drive your jeep!"

"What? No way, babe. Not the jeep."

"Well, if it isn't going to rain, then you won't need to worry about it."

"Yeah, yeah, all right," Emmett conceded. "So, we're going? Let's pack up some snacks."

"Let's just stop and buy some stuff on the way," Bella suggested. "I kind of just want to get out of here."

"Sure, I'm game!" Emmett grabbed his keys. "To the jeep!"

"Why don't we take two cars," Edward suggested.

"What the fuck for? Is there something wrong with the jeep'mobile?"

"Hell, no! Not if you are in the front. But I'd rather Bella and I not get tossed around in the back seat the whole way up the mountain."

"Shit, bro. Why can't you just admit you want more alone time with Bella."

"I don't mind the riding in the back," Bella offered.

"Because you've never ridden back there. Trust me, baby," Edward pleaded. "It's a forty minute drive to the base of the trail. The Volvo is a lot more comfortable."

"Whatever, wimps," Emmett huffed. "Let's just get this show in the fucking road, shall we? We can stop at the 7-11 when we get close."

The four of them walked back out through the garage and piled into their cars, Edward's Volvo following Emmett's jeep. They pulled out on the main highway and started traveling uphill and away from Forks. The sunlight was shining through the thick layer of trees lining the road as they wound further up the mountain and it was nice to just drive for awhile. It was the most normal time Bella and Edward had been able to have together all week.

"I love your playlists," Bella confessed as she fiddled with the different tracks on Edward's iPod. "You have a real knack for putting song together. I used to snatch your Nano so I could copy some of the lists from your library without you knowing it."

"You devious little sneak!" Edward admonished her.

"Is that devious in a sexy way again?" she teased back.

"Is that why my iPod kept vanishing from the patio table last summer every time I got in the pool?"

"Yep!" Bella declared with pride. "I couldn't tell you I wanted to borrow it. That would be like giving you a compliment on your musical taste."

"Oh, hell no! That would have just sent the balance of the universe off completely if you'd done that."

"Exactly!"

They continued to talk throughout the ride, mostly about mundane things: Rosalie's good effect on Emmett, the ridiculously hard biology final coming up in a few weeks, a newly released horror film that Edward was dying to see and Bella declared to be "gross." In no time at all, it seemed, they saw Emmett turn off the road to a gas station with a convenience store attached. Bella reached for her shoes, which she had kicked off in the car, while Edward pulled up to the gas pump. Before she had even gotten out of the car, Rosalie appeared at her window.

"What do you guys want to drink?" she asked as Bella opened the door.

"I'll go with you," Bella offered, standing up. "I know Edward is just _dying_ for some Root Beer."

Edward looked up to see her smirking at him.

"Shrew," he called her but with a look and tone that sounded so affectionate it was almost embarrassing.

"Damn!" Rosalie declared. "One of these days I have got to figure out what the deal is with you two and Root Beer."

"Not today," Bella giggled, pulling Rosalie's arm slightly. "Come on, let's get some snacks because if there is one thing I know it is how much these boys can eat!"

"Get some Red Bull!" they heard Emmett's booming voice behind them just as they entered the 7-11.

His enthusiasm caused them both girls to break into a fit of laughter that echoed over the ringing of the bell as the door swung closed behind them. They were still laughing when a scathing voice abruptly lashed out from the end of the aisle.

"Oh yeah, you look _real_ traumatized. Poor, little Bella."

Bella's laughter halted and she looked up to see the girl who had addressed her. She recognized her long hair and dark eyes immediately, but couldn't remember her name at first.

"You are unbelievable," the girl went on, taking a couple of steps closer. "I can't believe you are just out having a good time after all the trouble you've caused."

"Leah," Bella said, finally remembered the girl's name. She had met her several times while visiting the Blacks on the reservation and had seen her again at the barbecue last weekend.

"Hey, bitch!" Rosalie suddenly stepped in front of Bella to address the new girl. "Do you have a problem with my friend?"

Leah didn't seem concerned with Rosalie's tone. "I have a problem with anyone who messes with _my_ friends… bitch."

"What the hell does that mean?" Bella asked.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Bella," Leah hissed. "I was there when Jacob came home covered in blood. I can't believe you did that to him."

Bella looked at her in shock. "You don't know anything about what happened, Leah!"

"I know that you lied! I know that you made up some horrible story about Jacob attacking you or some nonsense and then you let your stuck up friends beat the shit out of him."

"That's crazy!"

"First of all, bitch, get your facts strait," Rosalie stepped in again. "I believe _one_ friend got in _one_ good punch, which was a lot less than the fucker deserved!"

"You don't know what the hell you are talking about, whoever you are." Leah glared at Rosalie. "You don't even know Jacob so butt out."

"I'll butt out when you and _your_ bastard friend start leaving Bella alone!" Rosalie took a step closer to Leah and it became apparent that she towered over her. "You want to start something? Bring it on. I promise that Bella's got enough friends to take you and all of yours… _bitch!"_

Leah glared harder, but took a step back. "I just can't believe you would do something like this," she said, once again looking at Bella. "Jacob thought you guys were friends. I mean, he cared about you. I think he even liked you, although I have no idea why. You've always been a frigid snob around him. He deserves better!"

"Sounds like someone is jealous," Rosalie taunted, but her words horrified Bella.

"Leah, listen to me," Bella pleaded. "You don't know Jacob as well as you think you do."

"Don't even try that shit with me," Leah gasped. "I'm not going to believe your lies. Jacob is a sweet guy. Everyone knows he wouldn't hurt a fly."

"I used to think that too," Bella tried again. "I mean, it's true I never really like his attention…."

Leah scoffed at this.

"But I thought he was basically OK," Bella continued to press.

"He _is_!"

"His isn't, Leah! He's got you fooled, but you have to at least consider what I'm saying. He's dangerous."

"Shut up!" Leah snapped. "Just, shut up! What is this? You've pushed him away but you don't want someone else to have a chance with him? That's sick."

"OK, bitch. That's enough," Rosalie stepped in again.

"No, Rose, it's OK," Bella whispered, trying to keep her tone under control. It wasn't Leah's fault that she was blinded by her crush on Jacob. "Leah, when you say someone else, do you mean you?"

"What if I do? Are you so surprised that Jacob has moved on? I mean, why would he waste any more time on you now that he finally sees what kind of a person you are?" Leah sneered at her, but Bella didn't take the bait so she added smugly. "In fact, Jake asked me out this afternoon. And I plan to do whatever I can to make him feel better."

"Shit!" Bella hissed.

Her reaction made Leah smile. "I guess you lose."

"No, Leah, you don't understand," Bella said frantically. "You shouldn't be alone with Jacob."

"Oh for fuck sake! This again? You really are pathetic, Bella."

"Think whatever you want about me, Leah. I don't care." Bella took a step closer, pleading.

She'd been so upset about what Jacob had try to do to her that she hadn't thought that he could try to hurt someone else one day. Damn it! How could she have thought of keeping quiet about this? It just gave him even more power. And now Leah was going to out with him. She was going to be alone with him. Maybe Jacob wouldn't try anything. Maybe he didn't want that from Leah. But, what if he did? What if his anger about this morning spurred him on? Oh, fuck! Fuck!

"I have to try to make you understand, Leah," Bella started again after a calming breath. "You probably won't listen, but I have to try. I didn't make anything up. Jacob _did_ hurt me. I was screaming at him to stop, do you understand me? I was screaming and he wouldn't stop."

Leah was shaking her head, but Bella went on.

"Someone heard me screaming and stopped it but, if he hadn't, Jacob wouldn't have stopped. He didn't care that he was hurting me."

"I don't believe a word you are saying," Leah insisted, but her tone had lost just a little of the conviction she had before.

"Fine, don't believe me. Think I'm a lying bitch, if you want! But, if you have even the slightest doubt than please, _please_, just don't be alone with him."

Leah was silent for a while. She was glaring at Bella, but there _was_ doubt in her eyes now. Maybe it would be enough. Damn, Bella hoped it was.

"Whatever," Leah finally mumbled; walking passed them and purposely bumping Rosalie's shoulder on the way by.

Bella turned to see her leave and caught sight of Edward and Emmett standing just inside the store. She had no idea how long they'd been there or what they had heard, but she was glad that neither said anything to Leah as she left.

"What a bitch," Rosalie said when she was gone.

"It's not entirely her fault," Bella said, "but, I can't completely disagree either."

"Are you all right?" Edward asked, rushing to her side. "What was that all about?"

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know it was about Jacob," Edward confessed

"Yeah, but I'm OK," Bella smiled with surprise. "I mean, I really _am_ OK. I'm not upset for me. I'm just upset because I'm worried about Leah."

"You're worried about that bitch?" Rosalie asked.

"She's a friend of Jacob's," Bella went on to explain to the boys.

"Then I second what Rosie said," Emmett put in. "Why do you care about anyone who is a friend to that bastard."

"She doesn't know he's a bastard," Bella explained. "I met Leah a few times before. She's just a regular girl from LaPush who thinks she's being loyal. She doesn't know any better."

"Bella was trying to warn her about the pig," Rosalie added.

Edward wrapped an arm around Bella's shoulder. "Yeah, I caught that comment about not being alone with him. Think she'll listen?"

"I hope so," Bella said, leaning against him. "I had to try, you know?"

Edward kissed the top of her head, "You are amazing."

"Oh, fuck, here we go again," Emmett moaned at the sight of them.

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "And you two really think you are keeping a low profile. Come on, babe," she reached for Emmett's hand. "Let get the drinks and get these two back in their own car before they go all PDA."

Emmett brought her hand to his mouth. "Forget them, Rosie. Let's get us back in _our_ own car…"

Rosalie pretended to smack him as the walked away and Bella just smiled. She looked up at Edward so he could see her smile. She already knew exactly what he was thinking.

"I really am OK," she told him. "I'm actually kind of surprised that I am, but I am."

"I'm not surprised. You are worrying more about someone else, just like always. It's what you do."

"Oh, you think you know me so well," she teased, standing on her tip-toes to put her arms around his neck.

"All my life. Always have, always will…" Edward leaned down so his mouth was just above hers. "I hope."

Bella gasped into his mouth, but Emmett cut off her reply.

"Hey, what did we say about PDA?" his booming voice asked. "Just get back in your car, you crazy kids."

Edward flipped his brother off as he pulled Bella to the door.

"We will finish what we were just doing when we get there," he promised, whispering against her hair.

"When we get where?" Bella asked.

"The place I want to show you. I told you, it's beautiful. I can't wait for you to see it."

"What is it?"

"A meadow."

* * *

_**I like Rosalie in this chapter. I never intended her to be a big character, but I'm having fun with her now.**_

_**I'm going to try to keep my updates 2 weeks apart, unless I can get them up sooner, and I will try to start answering all of your reviews again. I read them over and over for inspiration so, thank you for each of them!**_

_**The next chapter is called, "The Meadow" **_

**_Alexanya_**


	16. The Meadow

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

* * *

Enemy Mine

Chapter 16: "The Meadow"

"We will finish what we were just doing when we get there," Edward promised, whispering against her hair.

"When we get where?" Bella asked.

"The place I want to show you. I told you, it's beautiful. I can't wait for you to see it."

"What is it?"

"A meadow."

Bella startled him with her laugh. "A meadow? How very Disney of you!"

"Hey, don't mock my meadow," Edward pretended to scold her.

"Is a magical meadow?" she continued to tease.

"Maybe," he teased back, pulling her in front of him and hugging her from behind while they walked. "You'll have to wait and see."

"And am I going to a princess in this meadow?" Bella turned around when they reached the Volvo and put her arms around him. "And will you be my Prince Charming?"

"Holy shit, Bella," Edward chuckled. "You're the one who needs to lay off the Disney movies."

Bella reached up to give him a quick kiss. "You mean you aren't going to make all of my dreams come true?"

"Well, I didn't quite say that…."

Edward reached down to squeeze her ass and Bella yelp, batting his hands away.

"Get in the car, Romeo," she ordered lightly as she pushed him away and opened her door.

Edward walked around to the driver's side. "That would be Shakespeare, not Disney, baby."

"Shut up."

"Hey!" Emmett yelled as he and Rosalie came out of the store. "You lead from here, bro. I don't know where the fuck this trail is."

Edward gave him a wave in acknowledgement and slid into the seat beside Bella.

"Emmett's never been to this spot before?" she asked.

"Nope. No one has, except me," Edward explained. "I mean, no one I know."

"Why not?"

Edward shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it's kind of a special spot that I like to keep to myself."

"But you are taking all of us there today," Bella pointed out.

"No, I'm taking _you_ there today. _You _I don't mind sharing it with. I want to." Edward didn't look at her while he said this, almost as if he was embarrassed.

Bella tried to keep the goofy grin off her face but it was hopeless.

"Besides," Edward went on. "Emmett and Rosealie won't be going to the meadow with us. She'll never make it that far."

Bella's grin fell. "How far away is this place?"

"It's worth the trip!" Edward told her in lieu of an answer.

"Edward Cullen! Just where are you taking me?"

"Trust me, sweetheart," he turned and gave her a crooked smile. "Just trust me."

Well, shit! Like she could really tell him no when he looked at her like that, damn it!

"Fine," she said. "But just remember what it says in the Good Boyfriend Handbook."

"I won't let you fall," Edward assured her. "Princess Bella."

"Shut up."

Edward just laughed and patted her knee as he turned the Volvo off the highway and on to a graveled road. Emmett's jeep followed behind him for about four miles to where the road suddenly split into three smaller roads. After another mile or two the road turned again and the gravel vanished. The tires settled into the grooves left in the dirt until they started to vanish as well. After another five minutes or so the road stopped all together.

"Here we are," Edward announced as he shut the engine off.

"The end of the road?"

"Yup! From here on out, we're walking." Edward got out of the car and stepped around to the trunk to pull out a small backpack.

"Oh, shit," Bella suddenly announced coming to stand beside him.

"What?"

She glared. "I just remembered how fucking outdoorsy you are. You'd better not be planning any of the tricks you used to pull when we were kids."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Edward declared in a tone that clearly indicated he remembered too. "Me pull tricks on you? Did that really happen?"

"You asshole, you damn well know it did," she grinned at him.

The doors on Emmett's jeep slammed beside them and the pine needles snapped under Rosalie's feet as she stomped towards her boyfriend.

"This," Rosalie indicated to the high trees and damp ground around them, "Is not what I had in mind. How am I supposed to get a tan walking through this forest?"

"Now you sound like Alice," Emmett muttered. One look at Rosalie's face told him that was the wrong thing to say. "Babe, come on," he cooed. "I don't want that pretty, delicate skin of yours to get all red. You're perfect the way you are."

Rosalie rolled her eyes, but seemed placated for now.

Emmett grabbed his own backpack and started dividing the snacks from the 7-11. Edward traded some of the items from Emmett's pack with those in his own which caused some minor bickering. When the guys had their packs situated Edward grabbed Bella's hand and started towards the trail.

Trail was really a generous word for it. If Edward hadn't been in the lead it is doubtful anyone else would have realized the break in the foliage was an actual trail. Nothing was marked, indicating that it had become a trail by use alone and not by direct design.

"I hope you know where you are going," Bella said to Edward as she stepped carefully over a fallen tree branch that had crushed several ferns.

Edward sighed. "Baby, _trust_ me."

"I do," she added quickly, looking up at the tall pines that towered over them as they headed up-hill. "I'm just glad you have a better sense of direction than I do."

Edward kept a firm hold on her hand, using it to steady her a few times when she stumbled. An hour passed and they were quiet for the most part, listening to the sounds of the birds and bugs around them. It was hard to remember that there was a highway just a few miles away and Bella felt herself forgetting about everything else they'd left behind too. She sighed contently causing Edward to look back at her.

"You all right?" he asked.

"I'm going to have to listen to an 'I told you so' I'm afraid," she answered him. "Because this really was a good idea you had."

Edward just grinned but the groan they heard from Rosalie clearly said that she did not agree.

"When can we take a break?" she whined.

"Yeah, dude, maybe we've gone far enough," Emmett agreed, backing his girlfriend up. "I mean, we gotta walk back as far as we walk in, right?"

Rosalie groaned at that thought and Edward saw his brother shoot him a pleading look from behind her.

"There is a stream up here just a little further," Edward told them. "We can take a break there, if you want."

"Or, you know, _stop_ there," Rosalie muttered under her breath.

Bella laughed to herself knowing this was how Edward had planned things to go. Damn him for being so good at reading people. Or maybe she should bless him for it.

A few minutes later the clear sound of running water could be heard. True to his word, Edward led them out of the trees to the rock lined edge of a large creek. Without the tall pines to block the sun, the rocks were warm and Rosalie sighed in relief as she settled herself on top of a particularly large one.

"Now, this is more like it," she declared, lying back on her elbows and angling her face into the sunlight. "Let's just stay here."

Bella admitted to herself that it was a nice spot. She hadn't realized how chilled she had been in the dark forest, despite the exercise of climbing the hill, and stretching out in the heat by the water felt delightful. But Edward wanted to show her his special place. His _meadow_ he called it, which still made her chuckle. She couldn't disappoint him.

As if reading her mind, Edward sat on the boulder next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "We can rest here for awhile, if you'd like," he said.

"How much further to the end of the trail?" Bella asked.

"Oh, probably another half hour. Forty minutes at the most."

"Oh, hell no!" Rosalie snapped her head up to glare at them. "I've gone far enough."

"Rosalie…" Bella began.

"No way," Rosalie cut her off. "No offense, Edward, but this spot is good enough for a picnic or whatever. I'm not going any further."

"Rosalie," Bella began again. "I was just going to say that you and Emmett should stay here and have your picnic if you don't want to hike any more." When Rosalie gave her a questioning look, Bella just shrugged. "I want to see the spot that Edward was talking about."

Edward's arm squeezed her around her waist. He knew she was tired too, and still worried about falling, which meant she was doing this for him.

"You won't be sorry," he told her as he kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah, but _you_ might be if you end up having to carry my sorry ass," she joked.

Edward leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Your sorry ass happens to be one of my favorite parts."

"Beaver!" Emmett yelled excitedly before Bella could respond to Edward's teasing. "Check it out, guys! That fucker is huge!"

Rosalie was smiling again now, watching Emmett's enthusiasm as he pointed to a beaver dam down stream.

"Cool, Em!" Bella laughed. Leave it to Emmett to find entertainment wherever he was.

"I'm gonna go get a closer look," he announced as he started to make his way to the water's edge.

"If you fall in I'm not fishing your ass out!" Rosalie yelled through her own laughter.

"Don't worry," Edward told Rosalie as he stood up. "We'll come back and get you if that moron floats away."

"Are we leaving _already_?" Bella asked as she stared at the hand Edward offered her.

"Do I need to carry you _already_?" he joked.

"OK!" she teased back, standing up on the rock so she was taller than him and reaching out to loop her arms around his neck.

Edward laughed and shocked her by suddenly turning around to swing her up on his back.

Bella squealed and locked her legs around his waist. "I was kidding!"

"I wasn't," he told her. "Now, grab the pack and let's get going."

"You kids have fun!" Rosalie called after them

Edward walked them back into the curtain of trees and onto the trail that only he seemed able to see.

"You really can put me down," Bella told him, kissing his neck. "Really, I want to walk for now."

Edward lowered her to the ground gently and took her hand. "Can't help it if I like having you in my arms."

"Hmmm…. I have to remember how cheesy you get on sunny days. I kind of like it."

"Just part of my charm," Edward announced and Bella swatted his ass as he strutted passed her. "Still can't keep your hands off of me, can you, Swan?"

"Nope, I guess not," Bella agreed as she smacked his ass again.

She followed behind him in silence for a long while, just admiring the view he gave her as he led the way. The longer they walked the denser the forest became until it seemed clear that there wasn't actually a path at all.

"You're not going to get us lost, are you?" Bella asked nervously.

"Why?" Edward teased, "Do you have some placed you need to be?"

Bella's mood shifted at his words and Edward felt it immediately.

"Hey," he said, pulling her hand so she was walking beside him. "What's wrong?"

"Um, speaking of places to be…. I meant to ask before, do you think your parents will let me move in with you? Because I kind of already told my mom and dad I was."

"What?" Edward stared at her in concern. He knew she had fought with her parents this morning but… "Fuck. What happened, Bella?"

"Is that a _no_?"

Edward put his arm around her. "Baby, I don't give a damn what my parents say. You can stay with me until we get this shit figure out. No matter how long it takes."

"But what if…"

"_And_…" Edward interrupted her, dropping his arm to put a finger over her lips. "And, my parents will love to have you at our house. Don't worry."

"OK. But, where will I sleep?" she wondered, thinking of Alice.

"Do I get a vote on that?" Edward asked with a raised brow as he grabbed her hand again.

"I seriously doubt it. At least, not as far as your parents are concerned."

"We'll worry about the details later, sweetheart. If you decide you really want to leave home."

"I have to, Edward!" Bella insisted, gripping his hand harder. "I can't stay in that house any more. I won't!"

"What happened?"

"You know what happened. My father invited Jacob to breakfast!" she exclaimed, picking up her pace without even realizing it. "I tell him that Jake hurt. Mom tells him about my bruise. You tell him that Jake tried to rape me. And what does my dad do? He invites him to breakfast!"

"What about your mom?" Edward tried to keep his voice low to counter hers.

"My mom did nothing!" Bella replied. "She knew what dad was planning and she didn't stop him. She didn't warn me or tried to protect me at all!"

"Maybe you need to start at the beginning."

"Everything was fine this morning until I went downstairs," Bella explained. "Mom was supposed to be making pancakes for the three of us. That was what she had planned. But when I got into the kitchen she and dad were just scowling at each other and all she would say was that dad was going to regret this or something like that."

"Your mom knew Jacob was on his way over?"

"Yes, she knew. She knew and she didn't say anything. She didn't lock the door or tell them not to come or even bother to warn me! She just waited to see what would happen." Bella continued to get worked up until she was practically yelling. "She let me come face to face with Jake in my own house without even preparing me. She just… let it happen. She did nothing!"

Edward stopped and gripped Bella's shoulders gently. "Hey, it's OK," he tried to soothe her.

"I know," she replied, blinking her eyes rapidly a few times and taking a deep breath. "You're right. I know it's OK, because you wouldn't do that to me." Bella laughed suddenly at herself. "Oh, shit, that sounded lame!"

Edward laughed too, just glad to see that she had calmed herself down. Damn, she was strong.

"But I mean it; lame or not!" Bella insisted. "My mom cares and all that, I know. But she doesn't _take_ care of me when I need it. Not the way you do. You look out for me, Edward. You always have."

"Always? You sure about that?"

"Yes. You can tease and deny it all you want, but I am sure of it." Bella grabbed his hand and they started to walk again. "The more I think about it, the more I see it."

"See what?"

"All the times you've been there for me," she told him. "All the ways you protected me over the years. When you think about it, we are actually very protective of each other. Honestly, I don't know how we missed seeing it for so long."

"Probably because we were too busy coming up with new insults for each other."

"True. Twiggy was my personal favorite, by the way."

"Twiggy?" Edward echoed in question.

"Yeah, I actually liked that one, but I made you think I hated it."

"Well, you were so damn skinny!" Edward remarked. "And you ate like a fucking bird! I really could have snapped you like a twig."

"Maybe so, but Twiggy was also the real name of a famous fashion model."

"No shit?"

"No shit," Bella laughed. "So I liked being called that no matter what the reason."

"Well, you had to go and fucking spoiling it by getting all those gorgeous curves," Edward grumbled. "Damn, I was pissed about that!"

Bella spun around and stepped in front of him. "You don't like my curves?" she teased as she took both is hands and placed them low on her hips.

Edward swallowed. "Well, I didn't exactly say that."

Bella dragged his hands up her sides slowly until his palms reached her breasts. "Does it still piss you off that I didn't stay all gangly and twiggy?"

Edward groaned.

"Is that a yes?" Bella asked innocently as she started backing away from him.

Not wanting to be separated, Edward moved forward and reached for her again, but Bella slipped away from him with a wicked grin. She turned with a laugh and started to jog further down the path. She glanced once behind her just to be sure he was following and nearly got hit in the face with a tree branch. When she brushed it aside the sunlight suddenly poured in and she stepped out of the forest into a large clearing.

Bella came to a sudden stop, just staring at the scene ahead of her. The clearing was a large field surrounded by trees on all sides. The ground was covered in fresh green grass and wild flowers of purple and yellow. It was warm and inviting. OK - It really did look almost magical.

Edward caught up to her and smiled at the look on her face.

"Like it?" he asked.

"Is this your meadow?"

Her voice sounded reverent and made Edward chuckle.

"Yes, Princess Bella," he teased, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "But I'd like to think of it as _our_ meadow from now on. If that is OK with you."

Bella just nodded, still gaping at the beautiful landscape; so perfect and still it felt like a different world altogether.

Edward took her hand and slowly walked them towards the middle of the clearing. Without a word he stopped to pull a folded blanket out from his pack and spread it over the ground. Bella sank down on the blanket and lay on her back so she was facing the blue sky. She could feel the tall grass pushing up against the soft, fleece of the blanket almost like a cushion.

"I feel like I'm lying on a cloud," she sighed, breaking the silence.

Edward lay on his side, hovering over her. "Was it worth the hike?" he asked as he placed soft kisses on her face.

"Definitely," she replied dreamily, closing her eyes and just feeling his warm mouth on her skin. "I think I could stay here forever."

"Hmm…" Edward mused, moving lower to kiss her neck. "They might come looking for us."

Bella wrapped her arms losing around his shoulders. "They wouldn't find us. There are miles of woods up here. They'd never find this place."

"So it would be just you and me up here?" Edward kissed her lips. "I could get used to that."

Bella kissed him back, moving her hands into his hair. The sun had already warmed his soft, copper stands and she rubbed them greedily through her fingers, tugging on them when Edward kissed her harder. His body rolled over on hers and she quickly hitched her leg around his hip. Edward groaned loudly and Bella pushed her tongue between his parted lips. His groan turned into a growl and he mimicked her actions.

They kissed long and hard, rolling side to side as the sun beat down on them. Edward finally tore his mouth away and returned to kissing her neck. Bella tilted her head back for him and closed her eyes. She tried to calm her rapid breathing but her chest heaved under his weight.

Edward moved lower, trailing kisses down her chest and along her ribs. His fingers tugged at the fabric of her thin T-shirt until he had pulled the hem passed the waist of her jeans to reveal her soft skin. He gently rubbed his lips against her bare stomach, his hot breath sending waves of sensations all through Bella's body. She gripped his hair again as he eased her T-shirt higher, lovingly kissing each exposed inch of her.

"Bella," he murmured between kisses as he tasted her skin.

She was nearly undone by his sweetness and when he reached the bottom of her breasts Bella helped him by pulling her shirt up and over her head.

"Holy fuck," he gasped as he looked down at the transparent bra she wore. Only a thin layer of ivory silk covered her, revealing absolutely everything in a way that was somehow even sexier than if she was completely bare. "Holy fuck," he repeated again as he raised his hand to trace her dark pink nipples through the fabric.

Bella bit her lip as she watched him devouring her with his eyes. "Breath, Edward," she teased.

"Sorry," he whispered lamely, not really hearing what she said. "It's just that… you're just… Fuck!" He buried his face between her breasts. "You're fucking killing me."

Bella ran her hands down his back as he lay against her. "Well, then pay me back for it," she suggested, pulling the back of his shirt up so she could feel his skin against her palms. "If you're up for the challenge that is."

Edward moaned and Bella laughed.

"Come on, Cullen. Don't you want to see if I can keep my hands off of you?" she asked as she continued to tug on his shirt.

"I can't keep my hands off of _you_," he confessed, rising up to kiss the top of her breasts. "Or my mouth…"

This time it was Bella who moaned when Edward started sucking on one of her covered nipple.

"You asshole, you never play fair," she accused him breathlessly. Edward chuckled against her causing vibration to go strait to her core. "Oh, fuck, you are going to pay for that."

"Am I?" Edward asked, moving his mouth to her other breast.

Bella retaliated by sliding her hand underneath the front of his shirt until she could pinch one of his nipples, causing him to grunt and then hiss.

"Shrew!" he groaned again falling against her in defeat with his head now on her bare abs.

"Serves you right," Bella chided as she softly stroked his hair.

Edward rubbed his face against her smooth skin and nipped her belly button with his teeth. After a few moments he sighed contently and rested his cheek on her stomach. "I agree with you," he told her.

"That's a first."

"We should just stay up here forever," he suggested, kissing her stomach.

"That sounds nice," Bella agreed lazily. "Actually, it sounds kind of perfect, as long as I get you up here with me."

Edward fiddled with the button of her jeans until he had popped it open. "Who would have thought a week ago that we'd be here like this?" He slowly pulled her zipper down to reveal the tops of her ivory panties. "We've come a long way, sweetheart."

"Oh, I don't know that it was really so far," Bella spoke quietly, breathing in deeply as she felt Edward finger the elastic lace that stretched across her hips. "At least not for me." His mouth brushed across the thin fabric of her panties and Bella shuttered. "It's always been you, Edward. Only you."

He lifted his head to look up at her, his green eyes sparkling. "Yeah?" he asked.

Bella nodded. "I've never wanted anyone but you. Even when we were kids. Even when you were irritating the hell out of me."

Edward smiled and Bella reached down to brush his hair back.

"Sometimes I didn't want to see you that way," she went on. "Actually, I mostly didn't want to see you that way. I didn't want to love the sound of your voice or the way you look in your glasses. I hated how I'd try to catch a glimpse of you smiling that crooked smile…" Edward gave her a surprised grinned and she stroked his cheek. "Yes, that's the one," she whispered tenderly.

Edward turned his head to kiss her palm. "But I was such an asshole to you."

"You're still an asshole," Bella teased. "But it doesn't matter. It's always been you, Edward. It always will be…"

"Bella…" Edward crawled up her body to press his open mouth to hers.

She kissed him back, running her hands down the back of his neck. She gripped a handful of his shirt and started to pull at it again. This time Edward pulled with her until he could rip it off over his head. His lips went back to hers immediately and her hand went to his bare chest. She palmed his toned muscles from his shoulders to his stomach and back again; rubbing and stroking aggressively.

Edward rolled them over until she was on top of him, never breaking their kiss. He ran his hands through her long hair to where it covered her back. As she pulled herself against him tighter he gripped her ass, wishing he'd had the chance to remove her jeans too. Fuck, he didn't know how to get close enough to her. Sometimes he felt like he just wanted to pull her inside himself and never let go.

Bella finally broke their kiss first but moved quickly to kiss his throat. She straddled his hips, startling him for a moment, and began trailing her mouth across his collar bone and down the center of his chest.

"You don't know how many years I dreamt of touching you like this," she whispered in a dreamy voice.

"Holy shit, Bella," Edward gasped. "That is the fucking hottest thing I've ever heard"

"It's true," she said, moving her mouth to his tight stomach.

Edward moaned in bliss. "I don't deserve you."

Bella's head snapped up. "What?" she asked suddenly. "What are you talking about?"

"You're too good for me," Edward explained, touching her hair again.

"Don't say that. It's not true," she insisted, sitting up on him and resting her hands on his stomach. "That's not true at all."

"Of course it is," he insisted again, giving her another crooked smile that she loved so much.

"No, it's not!" Bella smacked his chest lightly to let him know she was serious. "Don't you listen to a word I say? I don't know what I'd do without you, Edward. I can't imagine my life without you. I can't believe you'd say that after everything…."

Edward propped up on his elbows and pulled her down for a hard kiss before she could finish her thought.

"I stand corrected," he said, pulling back to look at her face. "You're a shrew. I almost forgot for a moment."

"Shut up," she smacked his chest again and moved in for another kiss.

Edward sat up and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her thoroughly. "Baby, I don't want to imagine my life without you either," he said against her lips.

"You'd better not," Bella rubbed her nose against his playfully. "Because no one else would put up with your shit," she laughed.

"That's the fucking truth," Edward agreed, reaching around her to pull a can of Root Beer out of the pack and popping the top behind her back. "See how you take care of me," he said holding up the can to take a long drink. "You made sure Rosalie got me Root Beer."

"I do know what you like," she replied suggestively, taking the can and drinking after him.

Edward pulled a can of Pringles out of the pack next and showed it to her proudly.

"Sour Cream and Onion!" she declared excitedly when she saw he had grabbed her favorite flavor.

"You're not the only one," he told her. "I know what you like too."

Bella couldn't believe how sweet that was. It was just potato chips, but he had actually remembered her favorite flavor. She hadn't realized he'd paid attention to those kinds of things over the years.

Edward removed his arms from her waist to open the lid. He pulled out one chip and held it up to her lips. She opened her mouth obediently and reached her tongue out to lick at the salt before letting Edward feed it to her.

"Only you could make eating a fucking potato chip look so damn sexy," he told her.

Bella reached into the can without breaking eye contact and pulled out a chip for him. He opened his mouth but held her wrist in place lightly so he could suck on her finger first.

"Right back at you." Bella bit her lip, savoring the feeling of his tongue on the pad of her finger.

They continued to tease each other until they'd finished the Root Beer and half the can of Pringles. The air was warm on their bare skin, but it was amazing how comfortable they felt together. The sun was behind Bella, shining a golden light through her brown hair where it fell around her face. Edward couldn't take his eyes off of her, although they did occasionally veer to her chest as he continued to appreciate her choice in under garments. The way he gazed at her body put butterflies in Bella's stomach and made her nipples hardened, but his eyes always returned to hers with a look of locked intensity.

"Are you sure we didn't travel to another world?" Bella asked as she lazily kissed Edward again.

Edward returned her kiss and placed one behind her ear. "Maybe another dimension," he teased.

"I thought so," Bella sighed, snuggling into his chest. "This couldn't be the real world. It's too perfect."

A faint sound of thunder echoed in the distance.

"Nope! It's still the Olympic Peninsula," Edward announced.

Bella groaned. "Rosalie is going to kill Emmett. Is there any chance of making it back to the cars before the rain gets here?"

Edward turned his head to look at the incoming clouds. "Doubtful, but we might make it if we leave right now."

When he turned back Bella was pouting like a two-year old. "I don't want to go," she whined and stuck out her bottom lip.

Edward tugged on her lip playfully. "You don't want to get stuck up here in a storm either. That happened to Emmett and me hiking once. It was pretty nasty."

"Oh, all right," Bella agreed reluctantly, rolling off of Edward's lap and reaching for her shirt. "I guess we should hurry because Rosalie strikes me as the type to try to find her own way out of here if she thought she was going to get wet."

"Shit, I hope not," Edward said, jumping up to fold the blanket. "It's really easy to get lost up here and there are some unsafe areas if you wander too far."

"What kind of unsafe areas?" Bella asked accusingly as she stood up to button her jeans.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I've been up here dozens of times," he winked at her as he pulled his shirt on over his head. "I'd never lead you off a cliff."

"A cliff?"

"Or let a bear get you?"

"A bear?"

Edward put the blanket in the pack and put his arm around her laughing. "Emmett and I actually did see a bear up here once. The moron wanted to follow it."

"Did you?" Bella asked as they began to walk back toward the forest.

"For a little while, until it growled at us. Emmett would kill me for telling you this, but I've never seen my brother run that fast before or since."

Bella laughed, wrapping her arm around his waist too. When they reached the edge of the clearing she stopped and looked back.

"I don't want to leave our meadow," she sighed.

"Our meadow?" Edward teased, kissing the top of her head. "How very Disney of you."

"Shut up," she rolled her eyes at him for quoting her.

"Don't worry, baby. We'll come back soon."

"Promise?"

"I promise…" Edward whispered as he leaned down to press his lips against hers softly. "… Princess Bella."

"Asshole," she muttered as she kissed him back.

* * *

_**AN: Please don't hate me – I am so sorry for making you wait for this update. I never wanted to go this long without updating again and promise I am writing just as fast as I am able to find time to do so. I cannot thank you enough for sticking with me and this story. As always, your reviews give me the encouragement I need to keep going. Thank you! **_

_**This chapter was pretty much pure E&B fluff, but we all are going to need that to get through what is coming up next. So, hold on tight! **_

_**Alexanya**_


	17. Wrong Turn

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

* * *

**I dedicate this chapter to all of the readers who have stuck with me and this story in spite of the long delays between chapters. ****Thank you!**

Enemy Mine

Chapter 17: "Wrong Turn"

"I don't want to leave our meadow," Bella sighed.

"Our meadow?" Edward teased, kissing the top of her head. "How very Disney of you."

"Shut up," she rolled her eyes at him for quoting her.

"Don't worry, baby. We'll come back soon."

"Promise?"

"I promise…" Edward whispered as he leaned down to press his lips against hers softly. "… Princess Bella."

"Asshole," she muttered as she kissed him back.

The sound of thunder stopped them and Edward glanced up at the sky beyond the trees.

"It's getting closer," he said with just a hint of urgency, noticing Bella's nervous look. "We'd probably better get moving."

Bella gripped Edward's hand tightly as he started out at a quick pace. She followed blindly, letting him pull her along knowing she would have no idea how to get back on her own. When they reached the creek Emmett and Rosalie were ready and waiting for them.

"We heard the thunder," Rosalie began explaining right away. "And then Emmett informed me that he is as lost up here as I am. He couldn't have told me that _before_ you two took off on your own?"

"No worries," Emmett reminded her casually. "I told you they'd be back before the storm hit. No matter how distracted they may have gotten."

"What does that mean?" Bella asked.

"Oh, nothing at all," Emmett said with a knowing grin. "But, your shirt is on inside-out, Bells."

Bella's face turned scarlet. "Shit! It is?" she gasped looking down at herself quickly.

Emmett roared with laughter.

"You jerk, it is not on inside-out!" Bella snapped back.

"Yeah, but you sure thought it might have been," Emmett teased as he laughed even more. "You must have put it on in an awfully big hurry. Or, should I say, put it _back_ on?"

Bella blushed even redder.

"Emmett," Edward called.

"Yeah, Bro?"

"Shut the fuck up."

Emmett held up his hands and backed away, but his laughter was barely contained.

"Can we please get moving?" Rosalie asked. "And, Emmett, stop with the teasing. You're just jealous that you didn't get _my_ shirt off."

Bella groaned in embarrassment and buried her face in her hands.

"Well, what the hell have you been doing all this time, Em?" Edward asked as he strutted over to his brother and slapped him on his back. "Chasing that damn beaver?"

Rosalie laughed and Emmett scowled.

Another burst of thunder interrupted them. This one was much louder and Bella quickly jumped back to Edward's side.

"Let's hurry, OK?" she suggested nervously, clutching Edward's hand again.

Edward gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, remembering how much storms had scared her when they were kids.

Rosalie nodded in agreement. "Unless you want me driving your jeep home, Emmett, you'd better make sure we are out of here before I get wet!"

"Oh, shit," Emmett muttered as he gave Edward a shove. "Dude, get moving. I don't know the fucking way out of this place."

"I think you start by going down hill," Edward replied as he started on the path again.

"Cocky fucker," Emmett muttered, following quickly behind.

Walking downhill felt easier than going uphill had and their progress seemed to go faster too. The sky was growing increasingly dark, however, and Edward caught Bella looking at the brewing clouds through the trees more and more. Twice she stumbled when she wasn't watching where she was going and Edward finally wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her upright.

"Hang on, baby," he told her sympathetically. "We'll be out of here soon."

"I'm OK," she said, trying to sound confident. "It's just that…"

"I know," Edward assured her. "Storms freak you out. They always have."

"I should have figured you'd know that. I used to cry through them as a kid."

"I remember," he replied with an unsuppressed grin.

"But you never made fun of me for that," Bella mused. "Anything else and I was a fair target, but not that. Why?"

"You were already scared. What would be the fun of that?" Edward's shrug felt like a hug with his arm wrapped around her. "Besides, I actually felt bad for you during those really big storms. I'd never seen anyone so terrified. You were kind of pathetic."

"Shut up," Bella elbowed him in the gut.

"Oh no!" Rosalie suddenly snapped from behind them. "No, no! Emmett Cullen, you are so fucking dead!"

"What is it?" Bella turned to ask.

"I felt a drop!" Rosalie announced. "A damn rain drop fell in my hair and now we are going to get soaked!"

"Well, we might not get soaked if we hurry. If we can make it to the cars in a few more minutes we can probably escape the worst of it," Edward said.

"Run dude! My jeep depends on it!" Emmett gave Edward another shove and started tugging Rosalie down the hill.

Edward didn't even have time to glare at his brother before he started to feel rain drops on his skin.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Bella squealed, pressing closer to him to stay dry as they kept moving.

"I'm wet!" Rosalie announced accusingly when they finally spotted the end of the trail.

In spite of the fact he was in hot water with his girlfriend, Emmett snickered.

"And I did not mean wet in the _good_ way," she clarified with a glare, stopping his amusement cold.

They could hear the rain hitting the tops of the trees above them in a rapid pattern that increased as the wind blew. Although they were protected from the heaviest down-pour by the tall branches, the cold drizzle that reached the forest floor was enough to coat their bare skin in a layer of water and dampen their hair. The boys fumbled for their keys before they had even reached their vehicles, each one hustling their girlfriend out of the rain as quickly as possible.

Emmett practically carried Rosalie the final distance and basically threw her in the jeep once he got the door open.

"I'm still driving!" she said, although she wasn't about to leave the warmth of the passenger's seat any time soon.

Edward unlocked the Volvo by clicking the key lock and Bella rushed forward to yank the door open. She was about to slip inside when she realized Edward wasn't moving to get in the other side. Turning back, she saw him glaring in intense anger at the back of the car.

"Son of a fucking bitch!" he hissed.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked, ignoring the rain that now poured down on her.

"The fucking back tire is flat!"

Emmett came rushing over to Edward side to see what the problem was. "Well, damn," he said, letting the water drip from his dark hair. "That completely sucks, dude!"

"No shit!"

"You must have hit a nail or rock on the way in. Do you have a spare?"

Edward crossed his arms and scowled. "I took it out to lighten the car," he confessed.

"Why the hell did you do that?"

"To give it more speed."

Emmett laughed. "Well, it doesn't go very fast on three tires, dumb ass!"

"Emmett! Now is not the time," Bella said in a warning tone. He should no better than to fuck with Edward about his car. Even she wouldn't do that!

"Just take the girls back in the jeep and I'll call someone to come out here and fix it," Edward grumbled to his brother, taking out his cell phone and trying to shield it from the rain.

"No!" Bella said in concern. "You can't stay up here alone in this storm!"

"Well I'm not leaving my car up here."

"I'll stay with you, then. Emmett can take Rose home."

"No!" both brothers insisted at the same time.

"Bella, there is no reason for you to stay up here in this weather," Edward told her. "It could take hours. I'll just sit in the car and wait. It'll be fine."

"I'll just sit in the car and wait with you."

"I'll feel like crap if I make you do that, honestly," Edward pleaded. "I'll feel a lot better if I know you are warm and dry and waiting. Please."

Bella shook her head. "Sorry, but you are going to have to deal with feeling like crap. I'm not leaving you up here all alone. What if a bear comes?"

"Shit, bro!" Emmett snapped. "You told her about the bear?"

"What in the hell are you three idiots doing standing out here in the rain?" Rosalie yelled as she jumped out of the jeep and ran towards them trying to shield her head with Emmett's back pack. "What is the fucking hold up?... Oh, shit!" Rosalie stopped with she saw the Volvo's flat tire.

"Quick recap," Bella told her. "The tire is flat. There is no spare. Em is taking you home. And Edward and I are waiting here for someone to come fix it. Got it?"

"Except Bella isn't waiting here with me," Edward clarified. "She is going back with you and Emmett."

"I'm not leaving you here all by yourself," Bella told him patiently. "Get over it and get used to it."

"Why doesn't Emmett stay with Edward and I'll drive us back home in the jeep?" Rosalie suggested as if it were an obvious solution. "Bella, you can come over to my house until they get Edward's car fixed."

"That's a good idea," Edward agreed, happy for any compromised that got Bella off the mountain before the storm got worse.

"No it's not!" Emmett growled. "I'm not staying here with your sorry ass and no one is driving my jeep out of here but me."

"Babe, I _am_ driving your jeep out of here whether your ass is in it or not. Remember?" Rosalie held up a dripping clump of her long, blond hair.

Bella still hadn't said anything, so Edward tried to reason with his brother. "Dude, come on. You don't want Bella to be stuck up here in this mess either. And she'll go if you stay. Right, sweetheart?"

"I guess," Bella sighed. "But, it doesn't seem fair."

"It's not fair!" Emmett whined. "Dude, just leave your car."

"No, you can't ask him to do that!" Bella insisted. "I'll just go with Rosalie as long as Emmett stays. You'll stay, won't you Em?"

"Yeah…. Fine…. I'll stay…. Damn it…" Emmett grumbled.

"Glad that's settled. Now can we get the fuck out of here?" Rosalie asked impatiently.

She turned towards the jeep in a hurry and Emmett took off after her yelling instruction.

"Babe, now remember the clutch."

"Dick-head, I know how to drive a stick-shift!"

"And don't put it into 4-wheel-drive unless you get stuck."

"I'm not an idiot, you ass-wipe!"

Ignoring their bickering and the rain, Bella reached her arms around Edward's neck and hugged him close. Their wet clothes stuck together and water dripped into her eyes.

"I'm sorry about your car," she told him over the sound of the storm.

"No, I'm sorry about this."

"It wasn't your fault. This shit just happens sometimes."

Edward squeezed her closer before letting go and giving her a quick kiss. She looked like drowned ragged doll, her wet hair limp and sticking to her neck. But it was the way her wet T-shirt clung to her that got his attention.

Bella followed his eyes to where they had drifted to her chest. "Shut up," she said with a playful shove as she stepped back.

"I didn't say anything," he protested innocently.

Bella continued to back away. "Your eyes did!" she laughed.

Edward watched her run towards the jeep, the water splashing under her feet. Rosalie already had the engine started by the time Bella jumped in the passenger side. Emmett was still yelling protests and instruction at her but she ignored them and backed the jeep onto the dirt road with only her rolling eyes as a goodbye.

"What is it with Cullen men and their cars?" Rosalie addressed Bella but meant it more as a statement than a question. "Some day I'm going to have a red convertible and Emmett will have to ride shot-gun to me for a change."

Bella laughed. "I can actually see that."

"I wish! My father would never buy me a car like that. He doesn't want me to drive anything that is faster than a golf cart."

"Then he'd probably love my truck. It is ancient! But it gets me where I need to go."

Rosalie turned off of the small dirt road to a larger one that was quickly turning to mud. "Well, I imagine Edward will be driving you to school and stuff now, right?"

"I hadn't really thought about it," Bella confessed, realizing that she wasn't sure how things were going to go if she stayed with the Cullens. They weren't going to be able to hide the relationship forever. "I'm not ready to think about school yet," she replied, dodging the question. "We are still on Spring Break."

"Good point," Rosalie agreed, slowing the jeep down as they came to a fork in the road. "Which way do I go from here?"

"You're asking me?" Bella started.

"You're the one who's been here before," Rosalie declared casually. "So which way do I go?"

"I'd never been here before today!" she informed her a little desperately. "I have no idea how to get out of here."

"Well, why the hell didn't you say that before?"

"I assumed you knew where you were going."

"What gave you that fucking idea?"

"You were driving!"

"That doesn't mean I knew the way," Rosalie said defensively. "I assumed you did!"

"OK," Bella tried to speak calmly. "It's not a problem. We'll just turn around and go back to the guys. Edward can tell us how to get out of here."

"Oh great," Rosalie grumbled, backing up to turn the jeep around. "We'll look like incompetent females. I'll never hear the end of it."

They drove in silence until they came to a side road, the water now running in tiny streams through the ditch to the left.

"Is this the road we were on before?" Rosalie questioned. "Or was it a little ways further?"

Bella bit her lip and tried not to cringe as lightening flashed faintly in the darkening sky. "I honestly don't know," she confessed quietly.

"Shit," Rosalie hissed, a touch of concern in her voice. "Should I give this one a try or keep going?"

"I think this is the right one," Bella offered. "Let's try it. If it doesn't look familiar we can always turn around."

"How it is supposed to look familiar? Every road looks the same; mud and trees." Rosalie grumbled, but turned the jeep onto the smaller road.

When the road split again after a few miles, Rosalie brought the jeep to a stop.

"Well, fuck! Now which way do we go? And are we even sure we are on the right road?" she asked, sounding less irritated and more worried now.

"Damn it, why didn't I think to borrow one of the guys' phones?" Bella snapped, trying to quell her panic. "How stupid could I be?"

"Not stupid," Rosalie told her. "We were just in a hurry to get out of the storm. There probably isn't reception up here anyway"

"Well, we are sure stuck in the storm now!"

"Don't be like that, Bella," Rosalie tried to sound positive, which really went against her nature. "We are two bad-ass women with a 4-wheel drive! We are more than capable of handling this situation."

In spite of everything, Bella laughed.

"Bad-ass?" she asked with a smirk.

"If there is one thing a private-school girl knows how to be, it's bad-ass. You can be my apprentice, OK? Believe me; you've got bad-ass in you. I've seen it."

"Thanks, Rose," Bella smiled, calming down a little. "But, next time can we be bad-ass with a GPS?"

Rosalie nodded. "I like the way you think, apprentice."

Choosing the road to the right with no other reason except it seemed to be heading down the mountain, they went back to driving in silence. Neither girl spoke when it became clear that they had not been on that road before. They knew they were lost, but the road had to be leading to _something._ Once Bella suggested they turn around, but Rosalie admitted she was afraid to back the jeep up in such a narrow space with the ground being so wet. That was more than Bella had wanted to know, so she didn't offer any more ideas after that. Their patience paid off in time, however, when they saw a small cabin in the distance.

"Civilization!" Rosalie announced triumphantly. "OK, maybe that was a stretch, but it's something at least," she added when Bella didn't agree with her.

"Rose. Stop the jeep."

Turning, she noticed a curious expression on her friend's face. "What's with you?"

"I've been here before…" Bella whispered in surprise.

"You've _been_ here? Been where? To that cabin?"

Rosalie stopped the jeep before they got close enough to see much more than the roof and front porch of the log building. Even from this distance she could tell that it was well-kept, if a bit rustic for her tastes.

"How the hell could you have been to this cabin before?" she asked again when Bella kept staring in silence. "You probably just remember seeing a log cabin like this somewhere before. Don't they all kind of look the same?"

Bella shook her head emphatically, still not looking in Rosalie's direction.

"OK, well, when were you here? And why? And what is this place?"

"I'm not sure… I don't remember exactly…"

"Oh, give me a break, Bella! Come on, we are in the middle of fucking no where! You've just seen a cabin like this before. Now, can we please get going?"

"No, I've been _here!_" Bella snapped. "That's how I know the highway is just down that road passed the cabin, less than a mile."

"Are you shitting me? Well, hell, why didn't you say so?" Rosalie exclaimed brightly, putting the jeep back into gear. "I don't really give a damn if you think you've been here or not. If you think you know the way back, then let's go see if you are right."

"Wait!"

"What! Shit, Bella! You are starting to piss me off," Rosalie growled as she stopped the jeep again.

"I remember when I was here before."

Rosalie sighed. "Fine. When?"

"When I was little. Like really little, maybe seven or eight. My dad brought me to a camp-out here."

"OK… And?"

"It was with all the kids from the reservation." Bella finally turned to look at Rosalie. "This cabin was built by the Quileutes. It belongs to Jacob's father."

It was several long seconds before Rosalie said anything in response.

"Jacob?" she finally asked, her eyes squinting in disbelief. "As in _the_ Jacob, that I saw this morning?"

Bella nodded.

Rosalie looked towards the cabin. Then she looked down the road, at her feet, and finally back to her friend's face.

"OK, Bella," she started gently. "_Please_ don't take this the wrong way. But, you've been through a lot lately and you are scared of the storm right now and you are scared of Jacob… so…"

"You think I'm wrong?"

"I think it would be a fucking, amazing coincidence if we got lost on the mountain and happened to find the one cabin that belongs to the very person you are trying to stay away from. I mean…. It is kind of hard to believe."

Bella felt instantly wounded and shot Rosalie a glare.

"Shit," Rosalie sighed under her breath. "Bella, I'm sorry. Don't be pissed, OK? Look, I'm not a fucking therapist or anything, but I think you are only imagining that is Jacob's cabin because you feel vulnerable and…"

"I'm not imagining it!" Bella opened the passenger door and turn to jump out of the jeep.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rosalie yelled, reaching across Bella to pull the door closed again. "It's raining like a mother-fucker outside!"

"I need to check something out." When Rosalie just looked at her like she was crazy, Bella went on more calmly. "I'm not losing it, Rose. I promise. I _know_ this is a freakish coincidence, but that _is _the Quileute cabin I remember."

"OK, Bella, maybe you aren't mistaken. But who the hell cares? I don't give a shit who this cabin belongs to so let's just see if you are right about the highway being near by. If you are right then I promise I will eat my words and admit the stranger things have happened. I just want to get home."

"Just give me five minutes."

"To do what?"

"I don't know. I have this funny feeling. I need to check something out." Bella tried to open the door and again Rosalie grabbed the handle to slam it closed. Bella glared at her. "You said yourself it was a pretty amazing coincidence."

"What is your point?"

"Maybe there is a reason that we are here."

Rosalie groaned. "You have got to be fucking kidding me."

"Listen, Rose. You don't know me that well yet, but I'm not usually dramatic like this. I'm a very sensible person and I know this doesn't make any sense."

"But?"

"But ever since we spotted that cabin I've had this horrible feeling in my stomach. It's like I can't physically make myself go away." Bella mind turned inward for a moment as she considered what she'd said. "Maybe this is what they mean by a gut feeling…."

"And your gut is telling you to, what?" Rosalie asked. "To go inside that fucking cabin?"

"No. It's telling me that something isn't right and I need to check it out," Bella explained, pleading with Rosalie not to debate with her anymore. "I don't want to do this! I want to go home too! But, I can't just leave until I figure out why I have this feeling. It's like I'm panicking and I don't know why."

"Maybe this feeling is just all the trauma catching up to you," Rosalie said cautiously.

"Maybe it is," Bella sighed. "So, then, what harm will it to do just make sure?"

Rosalie groaned again and opened the driver's side door. "Well, shit! You can't go over there alone," she grumbled, stepping out into the rain.

Bella jumped out of her side of the car, wishing she had thought to grab her hoodie out of the Volvo before they'd left. Rose pulled her slight hood over her head, but it did little to protect her from the steady rain.

"Sorry," Bella mouthed, trying to convey her appreciation as they stepped over the narrow ditch and started across the marshy grass towards drive leading to the cabin.

They had gone about 40 yards when Bella suddenly grabbed Rosalie's arm and pulled her in at an angle away from the front porch. Breaking into a sprint, Bella led them around to the side of the log building where a detached garage sat, its paint-chip door lifted open. Pressing close to the wall of the cabin, Bella shook Rosalie's arm and pointed to an Old Rabbit parked motionless inside the garage.

Wide-eyed and trembling, Bella pulled Rosalie closer. "Holy shit!" she whispered. "Do you believe it is a coincidence now? That is Jacob's car!"

Rosalie's face mirrored Bella's shock. "What the hell?"

"I'll never doubt my gut again," she mumbled, her teeth chattering from cold or nerves, she couldn't tell.

"This is fucking crazy, Bella!"

"Tell me about it!"

"Well, let's get out of here!"

Bella shook her head. "Not yet! I still have a bad feeling. I have to see if I'm right about something."

Rosalie gave her a look that was half rage and half fear. "No shit, you have a bad feeling! You just figured out Jacob is probably inside while we're snooping around, far away from our car, in a fucking rain storm! My gut is saying 'move your dumb ass!"

Bella ignored her and started to slink around to the front of the cabin, keeping close to the wall until she was at the railing of the front porch.

"This is such a bad idea," Rosalie hissed behind her, keeping close to her back.

"Yeah, I know it is…. Just stay here."

Bella ducked under the railing until she was crouching on the porch near a front window.

"Fuck that," Rosalie muttered, crawling up beside her. "Haven't you ever seen a horror movie? We are acting like the stupid bimbos that go into the basement alone while…."

"Rosalie, be quiet a minute!" Bella squeezed her arm tightly. "Listen…. Do you hear people talking?"

Rosalie stared at Bella's face while she tried to hear what she heard. It came to her faintly at first, and suddenly got louder as the voices seemed to move into the room just inside the window.

"Two of them," Rosalie said so low that it was barely even a whisper.

Bella nodded, trying to stay as still as possible. "Damn it, I hope I'm wrong about this."

Rosalie's eyes scrunched in question, as Bella bit her lip and slowly moved to look through the bottom ledge of the window. She peered inside to see a dimly lit room with two low-sitting couches that looked mismatched from the 1970's. A laptop sat open on an end table and Jacob was standing over it typing on the keys. Sitting comfortably on the couch beside it sipping on a can of Diet Coke was Leah.

"Shit!" Bella cursed, ducking back down and leaning with her back against the wall again. "Why did I have to be right?"

"What did you see?"

"Leah is in there with Jacob. Alone"

Rosalie let out a breath and rolled her eyes. "Is _that_ what you were worried about, Bella? Damn it! You were really getting me scared."

"Rose! This is bad!"

"Bella! They are on a date! What do you think you are going to do?"

Bella gritted her teeth. "Leah has no idea what Jacob's idea of a _date_ is."

"Neither do you, Bella," Rosalie said, not unkindly. "I know what Jacob tried to do to you. But you two were never on a date. You don't know that he has any plans to try that with Leah. And, quite frankly, Leah seemed ready to give it up willing, so…"

"You don't get it!" If it was possible to scream with your eyes, Bella was doing so. "No one fucking gets it!"

"Shit, Bella, calm down. They'll hear you."

"Maybe they should!"

Rosalie clamped a hand over Bella's mouth just as a loud burst of thunder shook the porch. "Calm. Down," she told her firmly.

"Jacob is dangerous," Bella started quietly after Rosalie had removed her hand. "I can't get people to understand that. He could find plenty of girls to sleep with if sex were all he wanted. But he enjoys hurting people. And now he has Leah all alone in there."

"You think he brought her here to hurt her?"

"It's too good of an opportunity for him, whether it was his plan or not."

Rosalie nodded. "OK. I get it. Let's go get some help." She started to tug Bella back towards to side of the porch. "We'll find a phone and call the guys. I'd suggest calling your dad, but we don't have any real proof that there is any danger, you know?"

"Wait! We can't just leave her here."

"Well, I don't think we can just knock on the door!" Rosalie lowered her face into her hands. "Fuck, I can't believe this is happening. I mean, how the hell is this happening?"

"You go. I'll stay."

"Are you fucking nuts?"

Bella heart was racing, but she looked Rosalie in the eyes and lifted her head with determination. "I've been where Leah is. Right now she thinks Jake is harmless. When he turns on her she'll realized how vulnerable she is. She'll be trapped and alone and powerless against him. You don't know how terrifying that is; to believe there is no one to help you. I can't leave her to go through that."

"But, Bella…"

"Edward came to my rescue. But there won't be anyone to help Leah if I leave."

"And how are you going to stop Jacob?"

"He can't fight us both."

"Listen to yourself! This is crazy!" Rosalie took Bella's shoulders to shake her. "What are you going to do? Sit out here in the rain and watch to see if Jacob tries to rape her?"

"Yeah," Bella nodded. "I guess I am."

Rosalie gaped at her. "The hell you are! Besides, Edward would fucking kill me if I left you here."

"One of us needs to go get help and I can't leave Leah alone, so you need to go."

"What if I stay and you go?" Rosalie suggested, thinking she'd turn the argument around on Bella. "I'm more of a fighter than you are anyway, so it makes sense."

"We'll flip a coin."

"Holy shit, you really _are_ serious."

"Paper/scissor/rock; it's faster."

"Bella, I'm not fucking playing paper/scissor/rock for your safety!"

"Wait – it doesn't matter anyway because I can't drive a stick. You'll have to take the jeep."

"Just slow down!"

"No, we are wasting time!"

The two of them stared at each other for several heart beats. A flash of lighting lit up their faces and the sound of laughter from inside the cabin seemed ridiculously out of place.

"I cannot believe I'm fucking doing this," Rosalie moaned.

"Go. Please," Bella pushed. "The highway is down that road to the right. I know it is. Just be sure you make note of which road you are turning off of so you can lead the guys back here…. And hurry."

Rosalie shook her head and gave Bella a fierce hug.

"You're a bad-ass, girl," she told her. "You really are."

"I'm just an apprentice," Bella tried to smile when Rosalie released her.

"Be careful."

"You too."

Rosalie slipped off the porch silently and took a wide path back to the jeep. Bella lost sight of her before she got there, but she was able to see her driving down the road towards the highway a few moments later. The storm masked the sound of the engine as a streak of lightening seemed to disappear in the trees beyond where Rosalie had gone. Thunder roared immediately after and with it the rain seemed to blow sideways.

Bella huddled on the porch in her thin T-shirt, her ear tilted towards the window above her waiting for sounds of distress and praying she didn't hear any. Her gut clenched and she cursed it.

"I hope this isn't a really, fucking bad idea."

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_**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I really will try to write faster :)**_

_**Alexanya**_


	18. Over The Edge

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

_**

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**_

Enemy Mine

Chapter 18: "Over the Edge"

Bella huddled on the porch in her thin T-shirt, her ear tilted towards the window above her waiting for sounds of distress and praying she didn't hear any. Her gut clenched and she cursed it.

"I hope this isn't a really, fucking bad idea."

The wind picked up, drowning out any sound from inside the house. Risking another peek through the window, Bella saw Leah snuggled next to Jacob watching a DVD on his laptop. She looked comfortable, relaxed, and _warm_.

Well, shit! And she was worried about _her_?

"Oh, hell. What am I doing?" Bella hissed to herself and she turned back around to lean against the wall under the window.

What _was_ she doing?

Now that her adrenaline was wearing off, Bella started realizing how fucking insane this whole situation was. But she also knew she wasn't about to leave. She tried to tell herself she was there to watch out for Leah, but she knew that was only half the truth. Of course she didn't want Leah to be hurt; but she also didn't want Jacob to get away with anything ever again.

From the moment she saw Jacob's Rabbit parked in the garage, she could see the whole situation clearly.

Jacob was there.

Leah was there.

Jacob hurt people.

And no one would stop him this time.

_Well fuck that!_

Of course, her motivation wasn't purely selfless. She was tired of feeling powerless and, if she had walked away, it would have been admitting that Jacob still had power over her. Yes, that was really fucked up. But, she wanted everyone to know what a cruel and dangerous person Jacob was, and she wanted to be part of what brought him down.

What would her dad have to say then?

Damn. She really _was_ fucked up!

Bella sighed, and laid her head back against the wall. "I hope this isn't a really bad idea," she repeated to herself.

The rain was still blowing sideways, making it harder to keep herself dry under the roof of the porch. She thought about how Edward had wanted her safely out of the storm and felt immensely guilty. Damn it, in this chaos he was the one person she _hadn't_ thought of. Fuck, she was a bitch! Worse than that, she was a horrible girlfriend!

Edward was going to hit the roof when he found out where she was. And then he and Emmett would probably ride in here like maniacs and beat the shit out of Jacob. What if Jacob really wasn't doing anything more than watching a movie on a date? Edward and Emmett could get arrested!

She had just graduated from bitch to selfish, dumb-ass bitch.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

An empty can suddenly blew off the railing and rolled to her feet as a strong gust swept past. Another gust started to rattle the plastic chairs on the other side of the porch just as the front door banged open.

Bella gapsed!

"What the hell?" Jacob's voice was startled as he saw her form huddled in the dark.

She turned away quickly and tried to jump up to slide under the railing, but her feet slipped on the wet floor and she fell flat on her ass.

"Hey! Stay there! Who are…. Bella?"

This definitely was a fucking bad idea!

"Bella?" Jacob repeated, peering through the dark at her. "Shit, that _is _you? What the hell is going on?"

At that moment, Leah appeared behind Jacob in the doorway and stared dumbfounded down at Bella.

"You have _got_ to be fucking kidding me!" Leah squeaked as her voice went up several octaves. "You pathetic bitch! You actually followed me?"

Bella was still flat on her ass on the wet wood of the porch. Both Jacob and Leah were staring down at her in a mixture of shock and anger. If she could have made herself spontaneously combust in that moment she gladly would have.

"What the fuck?" Jacob looked back at Leah. "What do you mean she followed you?"

"She saw me at the 7-11 on the highway. Before you and I met up," Leah said accusingly.

"I didn't follow you!" Bella denied, sounding lame even to herself.

Leah rolled her eye. "Please! Why else would you be here? In the middle of nowhere? During a thunder storm?"

"But, why would Bella follow you?" Jacob asked too casually.

"She didn't want me to go out with you. In fact, when I told her we were going out she tried to stop me." Leah turned back to Bella. "That's why you're here, isn't it? You are spying on me and Jacob."

"I tried to _warn_, you!" Bella protested, picking herself up so they would stop looming over her.

"Warn her? About me?" Jacob shook his head. "Not that again, Bella. Damn it! Why can't you give it a rest?"

"Because you hurt me!" Bella yelled, glaring daggers at Jacob. "Because you are dangerous!"

"Yeah, right!" Leah scoffed. "If he's so fucking dangerous, then why are you following him around and spying on him? You the fucking stalker here, Bella. _You're_ probably dangerous."

"I'm trying to help you, Leah!"

"You know what, Bella? You need help!" Leah lowered her voice to a normal tone. "I mean it. You need serious, fucking help because there is something not right with you."

"Leah's right, Bella," Jacob said in a sympathetic voice. "I think you should talk to somebody. I mean, enough is enough."

"Fuck you!"

"You can't just go around lying and accusing people of things. Look, Bella," Jacob went on as he took a step closer to her. "I'm not even mad anymore. I'm actually worried about you."

"Oh, give it up!" Bella spat, hating the fact that she was about to cry. "You might have everyone else fooled, Jacob, but you know you can't fool me. I _know_ what you are, you bastard!"

"Hey!" Leah stepped up in defense of Jacob. "Don't talk to him like that. He's being the nice guy here. He ought to call the cops and have you arrested for trespassing. But, I guess with your daddy as the police chief you think you can pretty much get away with anything."

Bella started to laugh at that, but it was a hysterical laugh that brought down some of her unshed tears.

"_I_ think that _I_ can get away with anything?" she asked sarcastically. "Damn, Leah, do you ever have it backwards! Jacob is the one who thinks he can do whatever he pleases and get away with it."

"OK, let's just stop this," Jacob said, trying to sound calm. "Bella, you are getting hysterical. Did you drive here? Because I don't think you should be driving in this. Let's go inside and call your dad." Jacob reached out his hand and touched Bella's shoulder, urging her inside.

Bella jerked away. "Keep your disgusting hands off of me!"

"I was trying to be nice! Shit, Bella. What did I ever do to you?"

"You know exactly what you did! You tried to rape me!"

"Damn it, Bella, just stop it! You know that's not true."

"No, Jacob! I know it _is_ true!" Bella stood her ground, even finding the strength to take a step closer to him. "I am _not_ lying! I am _not _mistaken or confused, you son-of-a-bitch!"

"Enough!" Leah finally yelled just as a clap of thunder sounded. "No one is listening to you, Bella, so why don't you just shut up?" Turning to Jacob she whined, "Jake, I'm cold. I'm going back inside. Just leave her out here to drown with her hysteric accusations."

Leah linked her arm with Jacob's and tried to pull him along with her, but he held back.

"Bella, come on inside," he coxed.

"Go to hell!"

"You don't even have a jacket and your teeth are chattering," he urged her kindly. "You must have come here for a reason so what good is it going to do you to stand out here alone and freeze?"

Bella didn't respond to him, but he had reminded her of why she was there. She didn't want to leave Leah alone with Jacob. No matter how big a bitch she was being right now, Bella kept reminding herself that Leah just thought she was standing up for someone who needed it. It wasn't her fault that he was a lying sack of shit.

"I'll tell you what," Jacob went on. "I'll leave the door open and if you just want to step inside for a bit that will be fine."

Damn it, she hated the cool and collected way he was acting towards her.

She watched as Leah and Jacob went back inside the cabin and stood together in the front room. True to his word, Jacob left the door wide open for her and watched to see what she would do.

"Oh, hell, the cold is blowing in now! Just fucking get in here," Leah yelled out to Bella. "What does it matter? You've already ruined our whole fucking date. So, congratulations, mission accomplished."

"What are you talking about," Bella asked in shock, taking a step inside so she was facing Leah.

"Well, that's what this is all about, isn't it?" Leah went on. "You don't want Jake to move on to someone else. You like it when he is fawning all over you and you can treat him like shit. Heaven forbid someone actually makes him happy so he forgets about _you!"_

Bella felt sick. "You think I _want_ Jacob's attention?"

"This is all about you getting attention, Bella," Leah spat. "You get to string Jake along and still have that hot guy all over you. You want everyone's attention!"

Bella just gaped at her, too stunned and horrified to say anything at first, but Jacob suddenly took an interest.

"What do you mean? What 'hot guy" was all over her?" he asked with a frown.

"Leah, you've got this all wrong," Bella went on taking a step closer. "I don't want Jacob! I've never wanted Jacob!"

"Then why are you here now when just a few hours ago you were sticking your tongue down pretty-boy's throat in front of the whole damn store?" she asked. "You are such a fucking tease!"

"What are you talking about?" Jacob demanded.

"She was with some guy at the 7-11 earlier," Leah sneered at Bella while explaining to Jacob. "He was all over her in front of everyone."

Jacob glared at Bella and Leah took this as encouragement to keep going.

"And believe me, she was giving as good as she got! She acts all innocent and modest, accusing _you_ of coming on to her. But she's the one who decided to track you down _after_ she got tired of letting 'Mr. Gorgeous' with the perfect bronze hair grope her ass."

"What?" Jacob demanded with an edge to his voice as he turned to Bella. "Does she mean Edward Cullen? Are you seeing Cullen now?"

"I don't know who the hell he was," Leah answered, not quite realizing that Jacob was no longer talking to her. "He was some tall guy with sort of reddish-brown hair. But he had a real nice car, so he probably has money, and Bella couldn't keep her hands off of him."

"I should have known you would go after Cullen," Jacob said as his narrowed eyes fixed on Bella.

"I think she'll go after anyone," Leah went on. "That's why you're here, isn't it, Bella? You don't want Jake to see anyone else, even if you make-out with the whole town."

"I told you! I'm not here for _Jacob!_ I'm here because I was worried about _you!_" Bella threw her hands up in frustration and stalked into the room until Leah actually had to back up. "For shit's sake, Leah, you saw it for yourself! I'm with _Edward_! Why would want anyone else when I have Edward?"

"Shut up, Bella," Jacob suddenly snapped.

"You, shut up, Jake!" Bella turned to yell back at him. "This whole conversation is ridiculous! The only reason I'm even here is because I don't want to see you hurt anyone else. You are pathetic and cruel! I never even liked you and I NEVER wanted you. You disgust me!"

"I said, 'shut up' bitch!" Jacob struck Bella across the face with such force that her neck twisted and she flew backwards.

Pain exploded in Bella's head and her shoulder slammed into the table as she tumbled to the floor. She heard Leah gasp above her a second before she tasted blood in her mouth. The room was spinning and a dizzying quiet suddenly settled on them. She tried to sit up, but her arm felt weak and her shoulder hurt when she leaned on it.

"Jake…?" Leah voice quivered slightly.

"Stay out of this, Leah!" Jacob yelled at her, his expression now one of barely controlled rage.

Leah's eyes went wide as she backed away from Jacob. "What the hell is the matter with you? You _hit_ her!"

"She deserved it! She's a little whore!" Jacob looked back down at Bella. "I'll bet you fucked Cullen the very night he broke my nose. Didn't you?"

Bella just stared up at him, unable to move her arm and afraid to let him see her struggle.

"Is that how it is, Bella?" Jacob went on. "Is it? You're not too good too be fucked, you little slut! You just think you are too good for me!"

"Jake, come on… what are you….?" Leah whispered as her voice broke.

"Shut up, Leah! This is none of your fucking business!" Jacob stalked closer to where Bella lay on the floor and leaned over her. "Did you and Cullen have a good laugh about me that night? Did you let him fuck you up against that same wall where I wanted to do you?"

"Stop it, Jacob!" Bella yelled, willing herself to stare him in the eyes. "You're a filthy pig!"

"I may be a pig," Jacob leered at her as he crouched down and put his hand on her thigh. "But I promise you I am _bigger_ and _better_ than Edward Cullen…You don't know what you've been missing."

Bella tried to push him away, but her shoulder screamed in pain and she fell back. Jacob just laughed at her awkwardness and leaned over until he was hovered on top of her. He braced himself on her arms and Bella tried to kick him with her legs. One kick landed on his shin, but he just laughed harder as her held her down.

"Get off of her!" Leah suddenly screamed, pounding on Jacob from above. "You son-of-a-bitch! You son-of-a-bitch! Get the hell off of her!"

Without releasing Bella, Jacob grabbed Leah by the neck, squeezing some as he shoved her away from him.

"Wait your turn," he mocked as Leah stumbled back coughing and clutching her throat.

"I don't believe this!" she gasped. Her breathing was ragged as she sucked in air hysterically. "She was right! She was right about you all along!"

Jacob was still laughing as Bella tried to struggle. He bent his head to kiss her and she jerked to the side causing her shoulder to twist under his grasp. Her scream of pain came out before she could stop herself but she quickly clamped her mouth shut, refusing to give him the satisfaction.

"Jacob, stop!" Leah yelled again. "What are you doing? She's hurt, you bastard!"

"Yeah, but Bella likes it rough. Don't you?" Jacob pressed his lower body to hers now and Bella could feel how this was exciting him. "That's why you came here, isn't it? You wanted to be alone with me again."

Bella felt bile rise in her throat. Her body was trembling but she tried desperately not to cry. All she wanted was to get away from the feel of him hard against her, but her struggles were only making him enjoy it more. She turned her face away as far as she could and tried to keep from breathing in the smell of him.

"I _knew_ you were enjoying it the other night, before that damn Cullen walked in," Jacob went on, his mouth against her neck. "It wasn't very nice of you to try and get me in trouble later. But you can make it up to me now."

Jacob raised his head to give her another leering look before trying to kiss her again. Bella waited until his face was close to hers and spit on him as hard as she could. Jacob recoiled instantly and Bella wasted no time leaning up and spitting on him again.

"You are sick, Jacob!" she screamed at him. "You are _garbage_, you know that? You are trash and filth and the thought of being with you makes me gag!"

Glaring down at her, Jacob raised his hand to slowly wipe his face. "You shouldn't have done that, Bella," he said softly. Too softly. "I was going to do this nicely. But now you've made me very, very angry." Grabbing Bella's shoulders, he threw her back down slamming her head to the floor. "So, now, I'm going to make sure you don't enjoy this at all." He sneered as he shook her shoulders, knocking her head onto the wood again.

Bella squeezed her eyes shut against the rush of pain and dizziness. She tried to orientate herself enough to blink and focus again. When she did, what she saw made her freeze. The look on Jacob's face was terrifying. She thought that she was the one person who knew what he was capable of. Looking at him now, she realized how dangerously wrong she had been.

"Leah, get out of here," Bella breathed.

Fighting together was no longer an option. Her arm was hurt too badly and Jacob wasn't about to let either of them go. At least Leah could get away.

"Now, why would Leah want to leave when the fun is just starting?" Jacob asked. "After all, this is what she came here for too."

Leah had become motionless across the room from them as if she couldn't process that what was happening in front of here was real.

"Leah!" Bella yelled this time, trying to ignore the ringing in her ears. "Run! Go now!"

"Why do you think Leah is here, Bella?" Jacob asked. "Why does any girl want to be alone with a guy? For the same reason you invited me into the house the other night."

"I didn't invite you in to rape me, Jacob! And Leah didn't come up here for that either!"

"She's here because she wants me, just like you! You are both little sluts!"

"No! Jacob, no!" Leah finally yelled back. "Bella is right, you are sick! I should have listened to her! We don't want you and you have no right to do this. Now let her go!"

Jacob glared at Leah, while he continued to hold Bella down. "You are a lying bitch like her!"

"Bella, I'm sorry!" Leah wailed, looking at Bella struggling again. "Jacob, let her go! Please! You're hurting her!"

"I told you," Jacob snapped at Leah as he leaned back over Bella. "Wait your turn."

Without any more hesitation, Jacob pushed himself on top of Bella fully and started sucking on her neck with the clear indication that he would not be stopping this time.

"No!" Bella screamed, fighting without restraint. "Jacob, stop! Get off of me! Stop!"

There was no hope of overpowering him, but her survival instincts took over as she flailed and kicked. Tears started pouring down her face as she felt Jacob grinding himself against her. His hands were on her wet T-shirt, pulling at the thin material until Bella heard it start to rip. Her screams and cries grew even louder then, but Jacob only laughed at her again and started pushing her legs apart.

Suddenly Jacob cried out in pain and his grip on Bella loosened. He clutched at his head and looked up to see Leah standing over him with an iron poker from fireplace in her hands. She raised her arms and swung the poker again, this time just missing his face and making contact with his shoulder.

"Let her go! You let her go, you bastard!" Leah screamed as she swung the poker at his head a third time.

This time Jacob was ready and he grabbed the iron rod before it could hit him, causing Leah to lose her balance. She stumbled forward and Jacob reached up to grab her by the arms. He stood up quickly, still clutching her, and Bella used the opportunity to roll away from him and try to stand. Her arm felt useless and her whole body was trembling. She could feel something wet running down her neck and she wondered if her head was bleeding as well as her mouth. Blood was also dripping into Jacob's right eye and the smell of it was starting to fill the room.

"You damn bitch!" Jacob growled as the iron poker clattered to the floor. Leah was not a small girl but Jacob lifted her up until her feet dangled, shaking her like child. "You're gonna pay for that!"

Bella was on her feet now, dizzy and nauseous from the blows to her heard. She watched Jacob throw Leah to the floor so she landed flat on her back, knocking the wind out of her. Leah's mouth hung open in a silent gasp of pain. Bella wanted to go to her, but when she tried Jacob grabbed her again.

"No more interruptions," he said as his arms encircled Bella from behind, dragging her towards the couch.

Bella tried to brace her feet to stop his progress, but they slipped uselessly out from under her. Her eyes remained fixed on Leah as she felt Jacob's mouth on her neck again. Leah was struggling to roll to her knees. Instead of getting up, though, Bella watched as she shot her hand out and gripped Jacob's ankle. He stumbled and loosened his hold just slightly, but it was enough for Bella to get her arm free so she could jab him hard in the stomach with her elbow. Jacob winced and doubled over slightly, but still managed to keep one arm around Bella to prevent her from running. Rather than taking his anger out on her, though, he turned his attention back to Leah.

"You just don't learn do you?" he yelled as he reached down with his free hand and hauled her to her feet.

Leah fought back, hitting and kicking him as much as she could once she was on her feet. Jacob's hand was squeezing her upper arm and she twisted her head to bite it. She bit down as hard as she could and held on. Jacob cried out and let go of Bella to pry Leah's mouth off of him. She didn't let go easily and tore some of the flesh on his hand when he finally pushed her away.

Jacob clutched his hand in pain. "Fucking whore!" he screamed as he punched Leah in the face with the full force of his good hand.

Leah was knocked off her feet by the blown and flew backwards into the wall behind her. The side of her head made contact with the corner of the stone mantle above the fireplace. A horrible cracking sound was heard as she seemed to bounce off the mantle and her body crumbled limply to the floor. A moment later a trail of blood ran out from beneath her dark hair.

Bella screamed. "What have you done?"

Jacob was motionless now, staring down as Leah's body as the blood continued to pool around her head.

"Oh shit! What did you do?" Bella screamed again. "Leah! Leah! Can you hear me?" When Jacob still didn't move, Bella tried to brush passed him. "You might have killed her, you son-of-a-bitch!"

"I didn't do nothing!" Jacob snapped, grabbing Bella's arm before she could reach Leah. "That crazy bitch tried to bite my hand off. It's not my fault she fell." Jacob was shaking Bella, as if he was trying to force her to see his point.

"Let me go," Bella yelled in anger now as she looked down a Leah's still form. "We have to get her to the hospital!"

"It was an accident, Bella! You saw that! It's her own damn fault and I'm not going to let you try to blame it on me!"

"Damn it, Jacob! Is she even breathing?"

"She's fine. She'll just wake up with a headache."

"You don't know that!"

"Either way, we aren't sticking around."

"What!"

"I'm getting out of here and you are coming with me. I'm not gonna let you run off and tell everyone I had something to do with this. You'll spin another one of your lies and make it look like Leah was all innocent and I was to blame."

"You are!"

"Damn, you! It was an accident. She bit me and fell! She did this to herself! Now, shut the hell up and come on!"

"You're fucking insane!" Bella yanked on her arm out of Jacob's grasp. "She needs a doctor! She could be bleeding to death! We have to get her to the hospital now! Jacob, she could die!"

"No! We are getting out of here!" Jacob tried to grab her arm again but Bella stepped away from him quickly.

"Bella." Jacob said in a warning tone as the two of them looked at each other.

Bella could see the slow rise and fall of Leah's breathing now, but she hoped the Jacob didn't see it too. There was no telling what Jacob would do to keep Leah from talking.

"Come on, Jake," Bella started, trying to appear calm and taking a few steps back. "If you want to go, then go. Just leave! But I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Yes you are!" Jacob snap, lunging for her again.

Bella expected this move and quickly shoved one of the end tables in Jacob's path, causing pain to shoot through her injured shoulder. His shins hit the table, tripping him until he sprawled over the top of it. Bella raced through the still opened door and slammed it shut before Jacob had even registered what had happened.

The rain was pouring outside but Bella wasted no time running blindly off the porch into the storm. Knowing that Jacob would be able to see the road as soon as he came outside, she darted around the back of the cabin and fled into the cover of the woods beyond. She needed Jacob to follow her long enough for Rosalie to bring the guys back and help Leah, but she sure as Hell did not want him to actually catch her.

"Bella!" Jacob bellowed into the wind as he ran out of the cabin.

She kept her feet moving forward through the brush without even looking to see which way Jacob would go. There was nothing by thick trees and ferns all around her making it impossible to move in a straight line as she pressed her way through. The ground was saturated by the rain now. Mud sucked at her feet but she just kept moving, not even stopping long enough to look back. On and on she trudged through the thick forest until the pine needles on the ground, wet and slippery as ice, caused her to stumble to her knees.

Clutching her wounded arm, Bella rolled herself into a ball on the lush forest floor, barely breathing as she hid and listened. Several moments of silence passed. The rain poured steadily through the trees, dripping into her hair and running down her face. Water seeped through her jeans and shoes to her skin. The branches near her rustled from the wind or an animal. Or maybe Jacob was approaching. She held her breath.

"Damn it, Bella," Jacob yelled, but the sound was faint, coming from far away. "You are going to get lost up here! Is that what you want? Where the fuck are you?"

Bella let out a sigh of relief as his voice grew quieter the further away he went. He wasn't close to her but he was still heading away from the cabin; away from Leah. How long would he stay away looking for her, though? Long enough for help to arrive?

She pulled herself to her knees, her soaked jeans sticking to her and weighing her down, and took in her surroundings. There was no path or break in the trees to follow. Everything around her was covered in green foliage, dripping wet and easy to hide in. She could creep back to the cabin to check on Leah without being seen. But, what if Jacob doubled back at the same time? She would just have to be cautious. She couldn't leave Leah to die…. Oh, shit, there'd been so much blood….

A burst of lightening flashed and thunder shook the ground beneath her just as she got to her feet. She instantly coward again, falling into the mud. Damn it, she hated storms.

"Get it the fuck together, Bella!" she chastised herself. Of all the things to be afraid of right now, she couldn't let the weather terrify her too. The problem was that she _was_ terrified. So terrified that she felt dizzy and sick.

Stumbling blindly through the brush she tried to make her way back towards the cabin. She kept alert for any sound of Jacob as she tried to retrace the path of her flight. All too quickly she realized how difficult that was going to be, but she pushed forward anyway refusing to think about being lost. The adrenaline of her fight and flight began to wear off and the trauma of what had taken place in the cabin crept into her mind and body. Her limbs felt like they were shaking from the inside out, whether from cold or shock she couldn't tell. The repeated blows to her head had left her with a throbbing pain that she fought to ignore. She didn't even bother trying to figure out if it was water or blood that she wiped out of her eyes.

What if she did get lost up here? Would Charlie send a search party to find her? Oh shit, Jacob could get to him first and lie again. Maybe he wouldn't even care that she was missing. The more she thought about it the more likely it seemed that her dad would just be angry with her for getting lost. Wasn't he angry with her for resisting Jacob's attack? It felt that way. It felt like he didn't care if she got hurt at all!

The nausea she had been feeling suddenly overwhelmed her and she jerked forward to vomit on the ground. Her body heaved and threw her off balance as she tried to stumble away from the mess. Breathing through her nose she shook her head to clear it but only felt more disoriented.

Bella finally accepted that too much time had passed for her to be going in the right direction. She realized she had no idea how long she'd been in the forest. It was more than minutes but was it hours? Was it still day or was it night? The storm made it impossible to tell. She should have found her way back to the cabin or the road by now. Instead, all she could see were trees and darkness. All she could hear was rain, wind, and the pounding of blood in her ears Fuck, her head hurt!

She was lost. Utterly lost and confused. She couldn't even remember for certain where she was trying to go. She was trying to get somewhere, to get back to someone…. She was so scared. Where was Edward?

_Edward_.

Yes, where was Edward? Was she trying to find him? Or, was he trying to find her?

_Edward_.

He would find her. He always found her. She just had to keep walking.

_Edward_.

Where did she leave him? WHY did she leave him? She should be with him.

"Edward."

Whose voice was that? Why were they speaking Edward's name?

"Edward…. Edward…."

That was her voice, but it sounded strange. Her throat was raw; the taste in her mouth was horrid. She tried to swallow, but her body seemed to resist and she vomited again instead. Damn it, that made her head hurt worse. She tried to close her eyes against the pain but it made her so dizzy that she nearly fell. She was so fucking tired! She wished she could just rest for a minute. But she had to keep going. Right? Didn't she have to keep going?

"Edward," she sobbed this time, and then raised her voice louder. "Edward! Edward!"

If she kept calling would he hear? He knew she hated storms. He knew she'd be scared. Oh, fuck, she was so scared.

The sky lit up like a horrible explosion as lighting struck nearby. Bella screamed and fell backwards. She landed on some sharp rocks that cut into her hands, but her fingers were too numb to feel anything. The rain was pouring down on her in sheets, running into her eyes and mouth. She tried to push herself up but her injured arm gave out. She used her legs to brace herself as she rose again, but her foot slipped on the wet rocks.

Suddenly her whole body felt like it was flying. Nothing was beneath her. She couldn't even be sure which way was up. She felt suspended, as if no time had passed and forever had passed. Then everything went dark and there was nothing.

The nothing wavered into pain… and then nothing… and then cold… and then nothing again. She fought her way back to the surface to feel the flat stone that was beneath her cheek and the merciless rain that pounded her back. Then the nothing returned.

_Edward_

He was with her. They were snuggled together under the blankets on his bed. His body was wrapped around hers and she was warm… so warm…

So cold! Her body shivered as lightening filled the sky. The sky was so clear, so big. Where were the trees?

Edward had chased her through the trees into their meadow for the first time. They lay together on the soft grass. The skin on his chest was smooth over his tight muscles as she rubbed her cheeks across it.

Rough stone scratched her face as she tried to move. Pain erupted in her head. She was going to be sick again.

_Get up, Bella._

She couldn't get up. It hurt so much.

_Bella_

Where was Edward? Was he here or was it a dream?

_Bella_

_Bella_

The darkness crept back until she couldn't see the sky anymore. The cold faded again as her body sank deeply into oblivion. Just before the emptiness gripped her completely she heard a faint sound coming through the storm. And then there was nothing.

"Bella!"

* * *

_**In case anyone is confused, Bella is suffering the symptoms of someone with a severe concussion.**_

_**I know it is cruel to have a whole chapter with no Edward. I'm sure we all missed him as much as Bella is missing him. Fear not! There will be plenty of greens eyes and bronze hair in chapter 19, so stay with me.**_

_**Alexanya  
**_


	19. Lost and Found

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

Enemy Mine

Chapter 19: "Lost and Found"

"Bella!"

The wind carried the sound passed the trees until it bounced off the rocks and faded into an echo. Edward cupped his hands and yelled again, trying to make his frantic voice carry as far as it could.

"Bella!"

"Dude!" Emmett yelled from right behind him as he placed a hand firmly on his shoulder. "No one is going to hear you with the rain. Rosalie found something in the cabin. Come on."

Edward reluctantly stepped back from the edge of the woods. His nerves were barely contained and he wanted to tear through the forest, ripping down every tree if necessary, until he found Bella.

"We have to look for her, Emmett!" Edward snapped, pulling away from his brother. "We're wasting time!"

"We don't even know if she's still around here, Edward."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Jacob's car is missing."

"What!"

Emmett's eyes looked pained. "Rosalie said that Bella recognized the bastard's car in the garage. And, well, now the garage is empty."

"You thinking he fucking took her somewhere?" Edward asked in a panic.

"I think you need to see what Rosalie found in the house, Bro." Emmett grabbed Edward's arm again and stirred him back towards the cabin.

"We already know there isn't anyone inside…" Edward snapped but let himself be pulled along.

Emmett had been trying to keep his brother from going into a full blown panic attack since the moment Rosalie had returned and jumped out of his mud-covered jeep… alone. The look on her face had been enough to tell them something was wrong but nothing could have prepared them for the story she had. The shock was probably what had kept Edward from lashing out at Rosalie when she told them where she had left Bella. Shock and fear propelled him to drag her back into the jeep with him and race back to find Bella without any discussion. He didn't even wait for Emmett and Jasper to get in the jeep with them.

Jasper had been the only person the guys could reach on Edward's cell phone and he had graciously hurried up the mountain to put his spare tire on the Volvo. They had just finished changing the flat when Rosalie showed up, nearly weak with relief that she'd found them. Jasper was completely lost as to what was going on, but not to the urgency of the situation. What little Emmett filled him in as they followed in Edward's car gave him enough information to know Bella was in danger. When Jasper had followed Rosalie into the cabin some time later what they saw convinced him there was more than enough cause for alarm.

"That's blood." Rosalie whispered again for the third time as she and Jasper inspected the dark, wet spot on the wood floor.

Jasper nodded from his crouched position, reaching out to touch the stain. "It's fresh too. Someone bled a lot here. Recently."

"Oh shit!" Rosalie hissed, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh shit, oh shit! What if it's Bella's blood? What if he hurt her? Fuck! Why did I leave her?"

"That tables been kicked over," Jasper stood up to investigate the room more closely. "Like there was a struggle. If there was a fight then we can't be sure whose blood that could be."

"Blood! What blood?" Edward's voice carried into the cabin as he and Emmett stepped inside. Before anyone could answer Edward stalked across the room and saw for himself. "Son-of-a-bitch! What the hell….?"

"Don't freak out, Edward. We don't know what's happened yet," Emmett tried to reason.

"Are you fucking insane? Bella's missing! Jacob's fucking car is missing and there's a pool of fucking blood on the floor!" Edward screamed at them, pulling on his hair.

Rosalie was quickly becoming hysterical too. "We have to get the police! That other chick, Leah, she's missing too. He could have taken them both!"

Edward ran outside before Rosalie had finished talking and rounded the cabin to the garage. The others followed quickly behind him and watched as he looked at the tire tracks in the mud.

"These go strait from the garage and they are still soft. They have to be his."

"We should follow them!" Rosalie said.

"Wait! Just wait!" Emmett shouted over the rain, trying to keep some control of the situation. "We don't even know that Bella was involved. She could have gotten spooked and tried to walk to the highway or something. We need to get help."

"We should split up," Jasper said. "Two of us stay here and call for help; two of us try to follow the car."

Edward nodded in agreement, but seemed incapable of slowing down as he kept rushing along the path of the tires, checking to see if they would disappear. The other followed behind, Jasper still shouting his plan.

"Rosalie knows what the jerk's car looks like so she and Emmett should go…"

"Look!" Emmett shouted, pointing toward the back of the cabin. "Who the hell is that?"

A tall figure raced out from the trees, stumbling to a stop in shock at the site of the four of them. Edward recognized him instantly even from a distance.

Jacob.

Edward was already running at him. "You son-of-a-bitch! I'm gonna fucking kill you!"

Jacob took a step back in confusion. He had searched for Bella in the woods so long that the sky had gone completely dark making it hard to find his way back. He was tired and anxious already, so he couldn't react to Edward's charging fast enough to block the fist that slammed into his already broken nose.

Jacob tumbled to the ground and Edward was on him in an instant. His hands locked around Jacob's throat as he yanked his face up within an inch of his own.

"Where is she?" Edward screamed as the rain pounded the mud around them and smeared the blood flowing from Jacob's face. "What did you do to her? If you hurt her I'll rip your fucking head off!"

When Jacob didn't answer fast enough, Edward pulled him to his feet with is hands still around his neck. Emmett and Jasper reached them and they both grabbed one of Edward's arms.

"Edward! Edward, stop!" Emmett shouted. He had never seen his brother in a rage like this before and the amount of strength Edward displayed shocked him. "Edward, he can't tell us where Bella is if you knock him out!"

"He's right, Edward," Jasper agreed in a calming tone. "We've got him. He's not going anywhere. Just relax your grip a little so he can breathe…. Edward, he's turning blue."

Edward's jaw was clenched and he couldn't seem to unlock it. He knew he needed to calm down but that didn't make it easy to do. The bastard came out of the woods alone and Bella was missing. If he let himself think about all the ramifications of what that could mean… what could have happened in those woods… he was going to throw up right here in front of them. _Oh fuck… oh fuck…Where is she?_

Edward finally managed to pry his hands from Jacob's throat and Emmett quickly grabbed the asshole's arms from behind. Jacob couldn't clutch his throat but he coughed and wheezed several times before looking up. He's expression was defiant.

"You are only breathing because we need you to talk," Edward explained, his teeth still clamped together. "But this is so far from over between us."

Jacob's only response was to sharpen his glare.

"Where. Is. She?"

Jacob smirked. "Who?"

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Edward drew his hand back and slammed it into Jacob's gut. "Where is Bella? What did you do to her? You tell me or I'll fucking kill you!"

Jasper stepped in front of Edward and looked at Jacob. "What were you doing in the woods?" he asked directly with no emotion in his voice. "And what happened to your car? Did they drive off and leave you here?"

Jacob's head jerked at the mention of his car and they all caught it.

"So, we know something you don't know," Emmett chimed in. "Your car is gone, fuck-head. Which means someone took it and spilt. Someone who probably knows your little secrets already."

"He's right," Jasper nodded. "Which means you might want to help us out now while we still need you. Because we will get the truth eventually…"

Jacob suddenly went on the defensive. "I don't know what you assholes are even taking about! This is my father's cabin and you are all trespassing. Not to mention assault! I'm going to have each of you fucking arrested!"

"Then call the cops, you bastard!" Edward challenged him. "Go ahead! In fact, let's call your buddy Chief Swan himself and let him figure this out."

"I think someone already did," Emmett announced.

Jacob paled when, as if on cue, blue and red lights appeared from the darkness and a siren sounded through the storm. A moment later a police cruiser pulled up the drive and Charlie stepped out. He had on a long rain coat and the brim of his hat was pulled down low on his face. The boots on his feet spattered the mud as he marched towards them.

"All right, just what in the hell is going on here?" Charlie barked before he had even reached the group. "Where the hell is my daughter?" he asked, taking a quick glance at Rosalie before turning his attention to the three guys encircling Jacob. "Jake, what happened?"

"Get them off me, Charlie! They're crazy!" Jacob struggled against Emmett who finally released him. "Good thing you showed up! They were beating the shit out of me!"

Jacob stumbled over to Charlie's side, but he didn't receive the sympathetic greeting he was expecting.

"Where is Bella, Jacob?" Charlie snapped.

"What are you talking about?" he replied innocently. "These guys just showed up as I was coming back to the cabin. Bella wasn't even with them."

"Jacob, don't you dare try to fool me," Charlie told him in a warning tone.

"I'm not! Charlie, I swear it's the truth!"

"You fucking liar!" A car door slammed behind them and Leah suddenly charged through the dark, stumbling slightly. "You bastard! What have you done to Bella!"

Before anyone could react, Leah pushed passed Charlie and slapped Jacob across the face. The force of the blow spun Leah around and she would have fallen in the mud if Jasper hadn't quickly run up to catch her.

"You bitch!" Jacob screamed, pulling at his jaw.

He started to take a step towards Leah but Edward was on him from behind, locking his arm around Jacob's neck.

"ENOUGH!" Charlie roared, having lost all patience. "I have a gun and if someone doesn't tell me where my daughter is right now I'm going to start using it! Is that clear? Where is Bella?"

"Ask him!" Edward roared back, squeezing Jacob's neck tighter. "Make him tell us or I will fucking make him myself!"

Charlie grabbed Edward's arm to yank it away from Jacob's throat. "Stop it! All of you just stop!"

Charlie finally shoved Edward away from him and for a second it looked like Edward was going to shove back.

"I need answers, not more fighting!" Charlie glared at him.

"So do I!" Edward glared back. "But this asshole is the only one who knows where she is! He's done something to her and I'm going to fucking kill him for it just as soon as I have her back."

"Edward, you're making it worse," Emmett squeezed his brother's shoulders from behind. "Calm down, dude. This won't help her."

"Chief Swan," Leah's pleaded. "He's right. Jake had to have done something to Bella. It's just like I told you already! He tried to hurt us both and I saw him chase after her when she ran out the door!"

"What?" Edward stalked over to Leah. "What happened? Tell me quickly! Was Bella hurt?"

"She was hurt a little, but she was able to run," Leah gasped through tears now, looking up at Edward apologetically. "I didn't listen to her. She tried to warn me about him but I wouldn't listen…"

"What happened?" Edward asked again, placing his hands on her shoulders and staring down at her urgently.

"Jake got mad. He hit her!" Leah looked over at Charlie and then back to Edward. "He had her on the floor and… he was hurting her! I tried to stop him but he hit me so hard I must have blacked out because the next thing I knew I was lying on my face and I could hear Bella begging him to get me to the hospital. He said no. He said he was going to take her with him somewhere, but she ran out and he chased her."

"We found blood in the house," Jasper spoke up. "All over the floor."

"That was mine," Leah said, touching a darkened bandage on her forehead that they hadn't noticed before. "I had to use a pillow from the couch to stop the bleeding. And when I got outside they were both gone."

"You took his car," Rosalie reasoned, breaking out of her shocked silence.

Leah nodded. "I drove to call for help. I wasn't leaving her! I had to get her help!"

"So where is she now?" Rosalie cried out.

All eyes turned to Jacob in the same heart beat, but it was Charlie who got to him first.

"You little son-of-a-bitch!" Charlie yelled into Jacob's face as he grabbed the front of his shirt and started shaking him. "I trusted you and you…. you… what have you done? Where is my little girl?"

"Charlie, you know I didn't do anything!" Jacob pleaded. "Leah is lying! She's just mad at me; jealous because I don't want to go out with her. She's lying!"

"Bull shit!" Charlie yelled, shaking him again.

"It's too bad you couldn't have believed your daughter the way you believe a girl you don't even know," Edward snapped. "But at least you are finally coming to your fucking senses about this bastard."

Charlie turned to look at Edward, his face a mixture of anger and fear with a hint of pain showing around the eyes.

Edward glared back unflinching as his spoke to Jacob. "You have one chance, Jacob. One chance to keep me from tearing you apart and burying you in this mud. Where is Bella?"

Jacob didn't know if anyone would stop Edward from carrying out his threat, but he was pretty sure Edward would try to follow through. Unfortunately, he didn't have the answer they wanted.

"I don't know," Jacob said honestly.

Edward started towards him, but Jacob held up his hands pleadingly. "Wait, wait, just listen! I really don't know. I was in the woods trying to find her myself just before you guys showed up!"

Charlie grabbed Jacob by the collar again. "Start explaining."

"And do it fast!" Edward ordered.

"She ran out into the storm and I ran after her," he admitted. "I know how she gets lost so I tried to get her to come back, but she just disappeared into the trees. I looked and looked for her but I can't find her anywhere."

Charlie pulled Jacob's face within an inch of his own. "If you're not telling me everything…"

"I am! I swear, I am!" Jacob insisted. "She's somewhere in the woods. She's just lost."

"Just lost!" Edward snapped. "Just lost alone in the forest, in the dark, in the middle of a storm!"

Before anyone could reply, Edward took off running towards the tree line.

"Edward, wait!" Emmett called.

"No!" Edward shouted back, barely slowing down. "She's got to be terrified, Em, and she's probably hurt! We can't fucking wait anymore! We have to find her!"

"We will!" Emmett shouted back, catching up to him. "But we have to be smart about it. You can't just go rushing off and get lost too."

"I know how to get around up here," Edward brushed Emmett off when he tried to grab his arm. "I'm going to find her."

Rosalie and Jasper caught up with them just as more red and blue lights appeared at the end of the road coming down the drive.

"Emmett, I want to come," Rosalie said breathlessly. "I want to help look…."

"Who is that?" Jasper interrupted her as a third set of headlights appeared.

The two cars came to an abrupt halt in the mud next to Charlie's cruiser and Alice's small frame jumped out of the second one. She instantly spotted her brothers and sprinted over to them.

"Is Bella all right?" she asked before she had even reached them. "What's happened? Where is she?"

"Alice, what are you doing here?" Jasper turned to her in confusion.

"I heard that Bella was in trouble," she explained frantically. "Is she all right? Did Jacob hurt her?"

"What do you mean 'you heard'?" Edward asked.

"I was at the station when Leah called from the 7-11 up here. She said that Jacob had attacked Bella again and now they were missing."

"Why the hell were you at the police station?"

"I went to talk to Charlie," Alice said, pushing back the tears that were trying to escape. "I wanted to do something to help Bella and I thought maybe I could get her dad to understand better. I mean, I'd already totally failed her and I just thought she'd feel a lot better if her dad saw her side a little more."

"You tried to talk to Charlie for Bella's sake?" Edward asked in surprise. Chief Swan was intimidating in the best circumstances and Alice had always tried to avoid him. To go see him alone, especially at the police station, had taken guts.

"I couldn't think of any other way to help her at this point. And I hate what she's been through… what she is going through. Damn it, I just can't believe this is happening! Does anyone even know where Bella is yet?"

"The prick says she is lost in the woods," Rosalie explained quickly, pointing back to where Charlie held Jacob by the collar.

Two more offices had joined him from the second cruiser that was now parked in front of the cabin. The third car was next to it and four figures in rain coats and hats were just stepping out.

"Is that Newton's car?" Emmett asked.

"I needed a ride to follow Charlie so I called Jessica. They all wanted to come," Alice explained as Jessica, Mike, Angela, and Ben slowly navigated the mud to get to them.

"More people to help look?" Rosalie said hopefully.

"More people to get lost," Emmett scowled.

"Well, I'm not waiting anymore," Edward said, looking off into the woods before glancing down to give Alice a small smile. "Thanks for coming to help, pixie."

Alice smiled back, trying to mask her tears with the rain. "We'll find her, Edward."

Emmett tried to hold him back again, but Edward took off for the trees without even looking back. Emmett was just being protective because, let's face it, Edward knew he wasn't exactly in the best frame of mind right now. It didn't matter, though, because he was going to find Bella and he wasn't going to stop until he did.

Sounds echoed around him as Edward entered the forest and ran through the foliage. The rain and wind pounded the leaves and it felt like water was flying up into his face as much as down. His clothes were already soaked and he suddenly remembered seeing Bella's hoodie in the jeep. Shit, she was out her in only a T-shirt! She had to be frozen by now!

Edward forced himself to focus on where he was going, moving deliberately in a strait path so he could find the edge of the river. He knew it was in this general direction and the fact that someone had thought to be build a cabin in this area indicated that it probably wasn't far off. If he could follow the path of the river it would keep him from going in circles. Also, if Bella had been running from Jacob there was a good chance that she ran until the river stopped her so she could be hiding somewhere near its edge or walking along it. That thought gave him hope but also worried him because the river flowed through a deep canyon with sharp cliffs on either side. If a person wasn't careful they could easily go over the side.

Fuck! Especially if that person was a little uncoordinated. That thought gave him chills that had nothing to do with the weather.

Edward kept up a steady pace for some time, occasionally hearing the shouting of the others as they looked. The wind carried sound in a funny way up here and it was hard to tell which direction it was coming from. When he found the river's edge he followed along it at a safe distance. Several time he tried to get close enough to peer over the side, but the rain had made the ground soft and unstable. The last thing he needed was to step on an eroded ledge and fall over the cliff.

After more than an hour Edward began to wonder if he'd chosen the wrong direction to follow the river. Maybe Bella had walked upstream instead of down. Could she have gotten farther than this? Sure the storm was washing things clean, but he would have thought he'd see some sign of her if she'd been this way.

With a tortured sign, Edward turned around and retraced his steps back the way he had come, heading upriver. He could imagine Bella running along this same path, cold and frightened, her long hair mattered to her face. How badly had Jacob hurt her before Leah woke up? Had she made her way back to the cabin by now? Or double-backed to the highway instead? Damn it, where was she?

Hours had passed by the time Edward turned around again and retraced his steps far enough to run into Emmett and Charlie coming back from the direction of the cabin.

"Did you find her?" Edward asked anxiously, although the look on Charlie's face clearly told that they hadn't.

Emmett shook his head. "Everyone else has already come in. When we regroup we can start broadening the search."

"What's to regroup?" Edward asked, incredulously. "We keep looking until we find her."

"We can't keep covering the same area. We'll just waste time tripping over each other," Charlie told him. "There is a right way to organize a search and rescue."

"It's dark as pitch in here! One of us could have walked right by and missed her if she was hurt!" Edward argued. "If she had made her way out, she would have contacted someone by now."

"I realize that!" Charlie snapped. "And in the morning…"

"In the morning? You're quitting!"

"You said yourself, it's too damn dark to see anything and I can't allow any more kids to get lost or hurt. We need to structure a proper search to have the best chance of finding her soon."

"Fine! Go home! Have a nice hot shower and sleep in your own bed! But I'm not going anywhere until I find Bella!"

Charlie took a threatening step forward. "Don't you dare…"

"Hey!" Emmett stepped between the two of them. "Everyone is worried about Bella! But, Edward, we aren't going to find her in this storm. If you keep going you won't be able to stand by morning, let alone keep searching when you can actually see anything."

"Em, have you lost your mind? You expect me to leave her out here?"

"Damn it, Edward, you aren't thinking strait," Emmett tried to reason with him. "You are going to make us have to worry about you too. There is nothing more we can do right now."

"Fuck that!" Edward pulled away from both of them. "If you think I'm going to go home without her, than you _have_ lost your mind!"

"What are you going to do?" Emmett yelled into the rain as Edward turned to stalk away from them.

"I'm not going to leave her!" Edward yelled back as he disappeared into the trees. He could hear his brother yelling after him, but he just walked faster.

So, he was on his own now?

Damn them!

Something he said to Charlie stuck in Edward's mind, though. If Bella were hurt or unconscious, he might have walked right by her without noticing. Making his way back to the river, he began following the cliff's downstream again. This time he walked slowly, taking the time to look under every tree and around ever rock. With a dreaded sigh, he carefully approached the edge of the cliff and this time made himself looked down at the raging river below.

Oh, fuck! What if she had fallen over? The water would have swept her away instantly!

Edward started to panic. It wasn't just fear of her being cold and scared, but of something much worse. She had to be all right. She just had to be because he couldn't possibly lose her now that they were finally together! It felt like they'd been waiting all their lives to get to this place and to lose her now… No! It couldn't happen!

An hour passed followed by another and Edward began to feel the exhaustion setting into his limbs. He was almost back to the location where he had turned around the first time. The river made a bend at this point and the rocky descent fanned out into a small beach below. The ground was especially slippery here as Edward crept to look over the side again. Every time he did this dread filled him, not know if it was worse to find nothing or to find something. He could see the river rushing through the canyon below the jagged edge. The drop wasn't strait down above the beach and several wide ledges stuck out in various places. On one of these ledges, about eight feet below him, Edward saw a splash of white causing his head to jerk to a stop as he peered into the darkness to identify it.

Bella's white T-shirt.

"Bella!" Edward screamed as he dropped to his knees in horror and hope. "Bella! Bella, can you hear me?"

She was lying face down on the ledge below him. Her hair was spilling over the edge of the landing and the rain was pounding down on her.

"Don't move, Sweetheart!" he yelled, although she appeared motionless. She was still in danger of rolling over the side and Edward's only thought was to get to her.

Recklessly, he swung his legs over the cliff and lowered himself to find a foot hole. The jagged sides were muddy and slick and he managed only two steps down before he lost his hold and slid the rest of the way to the landing below. His feet hit first as he fell to his side and caught himself on his arms a few inches from where Bella lay. He crawled over to her carefully, testing the strength and slickness of the small landing that held them. Satisfied that it was solid rock beneath them that wasn't going anywhere, Edward pulled himself to his knees and quickly reached out for Bella's still form.

Rolling her over gently, he laid her shoulders and head across his lap. The rain matted her hair to her face instantly, but Edward gently brushed it away to take in her closed eyes and pale face.

"Please," Edward pleaded under his breath, not even aware he was talking. "Please, please. Bella, please…"

Pushing his fears aside, he focused on everything Carlisle had taught him about first aid and emergency care. Her face was scratched with red marks that stood out even in the dark. Her body was completely soaked by the rain and her thin T-shirt stuck to her without giving any protection. Her limbs were limp and her head felt like dead weight on his arm. Edward blinked back the tears that he had mistaken for rain on his face and tried desperately to see a rise and fall of her chest.

"Bella? Bella, look at me," he tried to coax her, his voice carrying over the storm. "Please, baby, open your eyes."

Edward bent his face down to kiss her forehead fiercely. "Bella, please," he begged, kissing her forehead again.

Her body shuttered.

Lifting his head slightly, Edward realized her lips had parted and her teeth were chattering. Her body slowly began to shake and a small whimper escaped her mouth.

"Bella!" Edward cried, pulling her to his chest to hold her. She shuttered against him violently and he held her tighter, pressing his face into her neck. "Shhh…. It's OK now, baby. I've got you. You're going to be OK. You're going to be OK." he repeated the words to assure himself as much as her.

He could hear Bella gasping in little cries as she instinctively burrowed against his warmth. He tried to envelope her as much as possible to protect her from the cold, but he was nearly as soaked as she was. She gave a pitiful cry when he eased her away from him so he could pull off his wet sweatshirt. He could tell that she wasn't completely awake, but she was alert enough now to feel the pain and freezing in her body. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her lips were nearly blue. There was no way to get her dry, but his sweat shirt would at least be a better barrier against the wind.

Edward carefully pulled the sweatshirt over her head and tried to maneuver one of her arms into the sleeve. Bella's scream of pain shocked him and he shouted her name in concern before he could stop himself. She cried silently as her arm fell loosely to her side again and Edward realized for the first time its unnatural angle.

"Fuck!" he cursed, knowing that her arm was dislocated or broken. "Son-of-bitch!"

If Charlie hadn't killed Jacob already, he was going to do it himself.

"I'm sorry, baby," Edward whispered, although he doubted she could hear him. "I'm so sorry, but we have to keep you warm."

He gently pulled his sweatshirt back over her head as she slumped against him. The T-shirt he still had on was already drenched, but he pulled Bella against him again and draped the wet sweatshirt over her back, angling her face towards the cliff to shield her from the wind and rain as much as possible.

There was no question that trying to get Bella off this ledge by himself in this storm was not only impossible by far too dangerous. Which meant they were stuck until someone found them the following day. There was no telling how many hours that would be. But it was hours that Bella wouldn't be stuck here alone.

Damn it, how many hours had she been lying there already? Was she conscious at first or did the fall knock her out? Did she break her arm in the landing or did that bastard do it to her?

Edward knew that Bella probably had a concussion and the fact that she hadn't completely woken up scared the hell out of him. The temperature was also continuing to drop and would get much colder before morning. She was already nearly convulsing with cold and if she went into shock… Fuck! He had to do more to keep her warm.

Knowing that body heat was all he could give her, Edward loosened his hold on Bella again to pull his T-shirt off over his head. Wringing out the excess water as much as he could in the rain, he draped it over Bella's head and pulled her against his bare chest. The heat coming off his skin and the small protection from the wind pushed some of the chill away from Bella and her shaking stated to still. At least it helped for now, but for how long?

Edward tried to wrap himself around her as completely as possible, even trapping her small hands against his stomach. The bitter wind bit into his bare back and he hoped his body had enough warmth to keep them until morning. By baring himself to the elements he knew he was in real danger of hypothermia, especially if the temperature continued to drop. Even if that happened, though, his cold body would still be some cover to protect Bella from freezing herself. If he could just shield her and make sure she stayed covered, it should be enough for her. He just needed to be strong and hold on to her tightly for as long as he could.

Edward rubbed his hands along her icy arms, trying to warm her even a little bit more. The fear and fatigue only made his feelings that much harder to ignore and the intensity of what he felt was overwhelming in that moment. She could have died. She still could… No, he wouldn't let that happen. He would protect her no matter what.

The reality of what he was thinking dawned on Edward slowly. Was there anything he wouldn't do for her? Was he really willing to die for Bella? If it came to it, would he risk freezing to death to save her?

The answer was obvious. He was here, wasn't he? He was soaked through and practically naked in a storm trying to protect her. He would do anything to protect her. But he always would have.

Hadn't she told him in the meadow that it had always been him? He remembered how it felt hearing her say that… Could it have only been that afternoon?.. He remembered how solid and complete those words made him feel. But, hadn't it been the same for him all along? Of course it had. There had never been anyone for him other than Bella. Never! Even when they were kids. Even when they were enemies. It was always her. And it always would be.

Yes, he would die for her.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Edward murmured into her skin. "I'm never going to let anyone hurt you again. I swear on my life, I won't!"

Bella seemed to press herself closer into him and hummed in response. She could feel his voice vibrating in his chest even though her mind didn't register the words. Her subconscious wasn't aware of where she was; only that he was there.

Miraculously the rain began to ease until it could only be heard drizzling from the trees above. A break in the clouds opened up and the moon peaked through for a moment. The moonlight illuminated the darkness enough for Edward to see the flutter of Bella's lashes as she stirred against him.

"Bella?" Edward said softly, "Bella?"

She hummed again and raised her head slightly. His smell permeated the dampness assuring her that he was close. She tried to move a hand to reach for him, but she couldn't tell where her arms were. Instead she struggled slightly trying to find where was.

"Shh.. Bella. It's OK. I've got you, baby." Edward placed kisses on her head and on each fluttering eyelid. "You're safe. I've got you."

Bella opened her eyes at the sound of his voice, blinking several time to try to focus them. When her gaze found his she seemed perplexed for a brief moment before a weak smile graced her lips.

"Ed..ward…" she breathed barely audibly.

"I'm here," he replied, staring into her eyes with hope. "I'm right here, sweetheart. I've got you. I won't let go."

Bella sighed through her smile. She tried to repeat his name, but no sound came out.

Edward placed more soft kisses on her face. "Just rest, baby. I'll be right here. I won't leave you."

Bella closed her eyes and nestled into his bare chest again. She felt as Edward's arms locked around her even more tightly, cocooning her within his warmth. Her nose drew across his skin as she was comforted by his familiar scent and the sound of his voice as he whispered to her.

"I'll never leave you, Bella. Never."

* * *

_**Technical problems delayed this update even more and I'm really sorry for that. Thanks for waiting :)**_

_**~Alexanya**_


	20. Stay With Me

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Enemy Mine

Chapter 20: "Stay With Me"

Bella closed her eyes and nestled into his bare chest again. She felt as Edward's arms locked around her even more tightly, cocooning her within his warmth. Her nose drew across his skin as she was comforted by his familiar scent and the sound of his voice as he whispered to her.

"I'll never leave you, Bella. Never."

Hmmm… that sounded so nice, Bella thought to herself as she struggled to remember where she was. Her face felt warm pressed against Edward's strong chest, but her body was freezing cold. That didn't seem right. Why didn't Edward pull the covers over them? She was trying to remember if she had asked him to do so when she felt her mind drifting off again.

She awoke to what felt like a minor earthquake. At first she thought she was dreaming about summer vacations in Phoenix when they would occasionally feel tremors, but then she realized it was the bed that was shaking. Except she wasn't in a bed and Edward's body felt so cold against hers. Why was Edward trembling beneath her like that?

Edward raised his head when he felt Bella stirring. She had been asleep for awhile and he hoped that his chattering teeth hadn't awakened her. The rain had stopped completely some time ago and the wind had grown so still it was eerie. The clouds were gone and the sky seemed clean and bright, but that only made the air colder. As Edward tried desperately to keep his bare body from shaking, he wondered how close it would come to dropping below freezing by the time the sun came up.

"I'm sorry, baby," he said, his breath rising like smoke in the cold air. "I wish I could make you warmer. Just hold on a little longer. They'll come for us soon…"

Edward's shoulders convulsed as a strong chill ran through him and he had to pause a moment because it hurt to breath. He didn't think that Bella was really listening to him, but his voice seemed to calm her so he kept talking.

"Just imagine how hot and humid it will be when summer gets here," he said through his clenched teeth. "In July and August we'll probably only wish we could be cold. Your dad still refuses to get air conditioning, right? Think about how warm you are going to be trying to sleep on those nights."

Bella whimpered slightly and pressed her face against him so tightly that Edward feared she would suffocate. He adjusted the damp sweatshirt around her to be sure she was covered and tried to rub some of the chill out her legs with his stiff hand.

"Of course, you can always stay over at my house when it gets too warm at yours," he suggested, trying to smile. "My room stays pretty cool. In fact, you should probably just stay the whole summer in my room. What do you say?"

Edward ended his teasing with a quick kiss to the top of her head, but her hair was sharp and hard beneath his numbing lips.

"Oh shit," Edward cursed as he moved his lips again and felt the ice that had formed her in rain soaked hair.

The temperature had dropped even more than he realized. Considering how much of his body had gone numb he probably shouldn't have been surprised. But, the thought of any part of Bella actually freezing, even just her hair, sent him back into a panic.

"We have to get you warmer. We have to get you warmer," Edward repeated as he tried to pull her closer and frantically rubbed her arms and legs.

In his haste he forgot to be careful of her arm until Bella screamed in pain. He must have moved it harder than he realized or it had gotten worse because she was clearly in agony. Her scream sounded like a tortured animal and the sound echoed loudly in the quiet night.

Edward was horrified at what he had done and how badly she was hurt. "I'm sorry! Oh, fuck! Sweetheart, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Bella cried in her sleep now, which made Edward fear that it wasn't a natural sleep at all. He knew a person should not sleep for long periods if they had a concussion, but Bella had been drifting in and out of sleep regularly without reason for concern. Why wouldn't she wake up now?

"Come on, baby, wake up for a minute," Edward said as he gently tried to shake her. "Just a little bit so I know you're OK. Please? Just open your eyes for me." She was still crying and moaning in her sleep, but she wouldn't respond to his pleading. "Bella! Bella, please! Come on, wake up. Baby, wake up!"

Her only reaction was to grow still as her whimpers ceased and she started to become heavier in his arms. Edward pulled her against him, tucking her face into his neck. He even considered hurting her arm again just to see if she would react, but he couldn't bring himself to hurt her on purpose. Instead he began to rock as he held her, too cold to even have tears in his eyes.

No…. NO!... She couldn't slip away from him. Not now. Not ever! Just… no!

"Don't leave me, Bella," Edward whispered into her ear, wishing even his breath could be a little warmer against her. "Stay with me, please! Stay with me! Stay with me!"

Bella's body was limp against his. He couldn't even be certain he still felt her breath on his neck. She was completely still and quiet. But, then, Edward swore he could hear his name.

"Edward!"

"Edward!"

"Edward! Bella! Can you hear me?"

It was Emmett's voice, faint and echoing, but definitely not too far away.

Edward felt his heart start to pound as new adrenaline hit him. He tried to take a breath to yell back, but the cold hit his lungs and sent him into a coughing fit.

"Hey!" he finally managed to choke out too weakly to be heard. "Hey! Hey!" he tried again, his voice gaining strength each time. "Emmett! We're down here! Emmett! Emmett!"

Edward's lungs seemed to give out on him and he prayed his brother had heard him. A moment later Emmett's answering cry came and he felt almost sick with relief.

"Edward! Dude, I hear you! Keep yelling!"

"Em, we're down here. Over the side by the river. Down here! Emmett! Down here! Emmett, hurry! Bella's hurt we have to get her out of here. Hurry, Emmett! We're down here!"

Several agonizing minutes later Edward saw the broad face of his older brother peek over the edge of the landing above.

"Fucking hell, dude! You scared the shit out of me!" Emmett yelled excitedly. "What the fuck are you doing down there? Wait. What the hell, bro? Are you naked?

Edward knew then that the cold must have messed up his brain because he actually laughed.

"I'm so happy to see you, Emmett. I didn't think anyone would show up until morning."

"Charlie and some of us stayed at the cabin after you took off. We started searching again as soon as the rain stopped." Emmett shined a flashlight down on them as he spoke and sucked in his breath when saw Bella's limp form in Edward's arm. "Fuck! Oh no! Shit, is she all right?"

"She's alive," Edward told him as much to hear the words for himself as to assure his brother. "But we need to get her to the hospital. She's hurt and freezing."

"Fuck, Edward. You're freezing yourself. Why the hell did you take your shirt off?" Emmett pulled his own coat off as he asked the questioned and dropped it over the side to him.

"She needed it," Edward said simply as he caught his brother's coat. Even though he knew Emmett meant it for him, he wrapped it around Bella instead and carefully stood with her in his arms. "Do you think you can reach to grab her if I lift her up to you?"

Emmett was laying flat on his stomach again hanging over the side of the ledge. "Yeah, give her to me. We'll get you both out of here."

Edward hesitated. "Her arm is broken, Em. You have to be careful or you'll hurt her more. And she's dead weight right now so don't try to pull her up if you don't think you can hold her."

"Edward," Emmett stopped him. "It's going to be OK, dude. Just let me have her and I'll give her back to you in a few minutes."

"Right," he said in agreement, holding Bella's limp form against his cold chest for just a second more. "Right, OK. See if you can grab her waist."

Edward repositioned Bella to drape over his shoulder and grabbed her around the middle to hold her up for Emmett. Emmett's long arms were able to reach her waist and his strong hands gripped her with ease, pulling her gently up to the ground beside him. After lying her down on her side carefully, he reached over again to grasp his brother's hands and help him climb to the top of the ledge as well.

As soon as Edward reached his knees her hurried to Bella's side. Emmett's coat was still around her loosely and he immediately pulled her against his chest, adjusting the coat to cover her as much as possible.

"Edward, your fingers are turning blue and you're fucking shaking. Put the coat on, dude."

"No," Edward insisted, trying to stand again with Bella in his arms. "She could be going into shock, Emmett. I can't get her to even wake up any more. We have to keep her warm!"

"OK. OK. Just take it easy." Emmett stopped Edward when he tried again to stand. "Dude, you're about to pass out yourself. Just let me take her and we'll get you both to the hospital faster." When Edward stubbornly shook his head, Emmett took off his own sweat shirt. "I've got more body heat than you right now. I'll keep her warmer."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's right," Edward agreed, gently moving Bella into Emmett's arm. "Here, try to warm her up. Hurry."

"I've got her, Edward," Emmett said patiently as his shivering brother staggered to his own feet. "Now, you put that fucking sweat shirt on and warm up yourself. I'm not going to deal with a pissed off Bella giving me hell for letting her hero of a boyfriend freeze to death."

"OK," Edward nodded as he pulled the shirt over his head.

It helped instantly to have some sort of cover over his bare skin, but he was already so cold there wasn't much heat for the shirt to hold in. Edward continued to shiver as he walked beside Emmett, keeping his hand gently on Bella's arm as they moved. She still showed no signs of opening her eyes but her body began to shake again and she cried out softly.

"Shh, baby. It won't be much longer," Edward soothed, stroking her head.

"An ambulance should be on the way up the mountain by now," Emmett added.

"An ambulance? How?"

"I let Charlie know as soon as I heard Bella's scream. They should be waiting."

"But cell phones don't work up here."

Emmett nodded towards that small radio at his belt. "We've been able to communicate short distances with these. Charlie had his deputy bring them up."

"Who else is up here?"

"The two cops that drove up before left, but two more took their place. Jasper drove Rosalie and Alice back down the mountain. They didn't want to go but I told them that someone needed to be with mom and Rene to keep on an eye on both our house and the Swan's house."

"Why?"

"In case Bella called or showed up there." When Edward gave a disbelieving look, Emmett tried to explain. "Think about it, dude. We didn't know for certain she was still up here. She could have walked to the highway, or Jacob may have been lying. Charlie was making sure that all bases were covered in case we were looking in the wrong place."

"I guess that makes sense," Edward agreed reluctantly. "But I told you she was out here."

"Yeah, I know. And I kind of figured you had it right," Emmett confessed. "I knew if anyone could find her it was gonna be you."

Edward nodded and stroked Bella's face again. His fingers were so cold that they trembled when he tried to move them against her cheek.

"Fuck, Edward. You're gonna need that ambulance for hypothermia more than Bella if we don't get you out of this cold soon."

"No. No, she needs it more." Edward insisted, but his brother didn't seem completely convinced.

Emmett tried to hurry as much as he could, but Edward's numb feet slowed them down and the cold was taking its toll on Emmett's strength as well. He'd given Edward his sweatshirt and Bella his coat, leaving him in only a T-shirt. A couple of times he got confused on the route to take, but Edward quickly corrected him and led the way. Not for the first time Emmett was grateful for his brother's uncanny sense of direction. They were both more than relieved when a dim light came into view and illuminated the edge of the woods.

"What is that?" Edward asked. "Is the sun coming up already?"

"No, it's too early," Emmett said as he hustled them towards it. "I think its emergency lights. We're almost there."

"Do you hear that, sweetheart?" Edward leaned over Bella's face where it lay against Emmett's arm. "We made it. You're going to be warm very soon. You're going to be OK."

"You both are," Emmett put in with a smile.

As soon as the three of them exited the trees they were surrounded. Charlie was the first to reach them and he quickly snatched Bella out of Emmett's arms.

"Careful!" Edward shouted at him. "You'll hurt her arm!"

Charlie didn't seem to hear what anyone around him was saying though, as he cradled his daughter against him and buried his face in her neck. "Thank you, God… Thank you, God…" he muttered under his breath as he held her close.

Bella muttered weakly under her breath and began to whimper. She didn't understand where all the noise was coming from and she couldn't hear Edward's voice any longer. Her arm hurt and she was getting scared as she found it difficult to move.

Charlie pulled back to look at Bella's distressed face and tried to calm her. "It's OK, honey," he insisted, but she continued to whine and struggled in his arms.

The crowd around them grew as several paramedics joined the group of searchers. Edward recognized a couple of the police officers from around town, as well as several men from the reservation. The last group was surprising to see and they seemed to hold back. Edward wanted to ask what the hell they were doing there and what had happened to that bastard, Jacob. Were they there for his sake or did they give a shit about Bella?

Before Edward had the chance to voice his thoughts, though, one of the paramedics swept down on him and started encasing him in blankets. Charlie started hurrying Bella towards the ambulance with two more paramedics at his side. Edward tried to follow, but was held back.

"I'm going with her," he insisted, trying to throw off the blankets.

"Kid, you need to keep this on!" the paramedic insisted as he pulled the blanket around him again. He was an older guy with graying hair but judging by the vice grip in which he kept Edward's arms trapped he wasn't used to taking shit from anyone.

"Fine, damn it! But let go of me!" Edward snapped as he watched Charlie lie Bella's shivering body on a gurney just outside the ambulance doors. "I'm riding to the hospital with her!"

Bella was covered with blankets as the gurney was lifted into the vehicle and Charlie jumped in behind her.

"Hey! What the fuck? My brother needs an ambulance too!" Emmett shouted.

"Your brother needs to get warm," the paramedic countered. "And standing out here arguing isn't going to do that."

"I'm going with Bella!" Edward yelled again trying to rush forward just before the ambulance doors closed.

"Thanks a lot, bastards!" Emmett snapped, angry on his brother's behalf. "And you're very welcome too, Charlie! You mother-fucker!"

"That's enough," the old guy snapped, standing up to his full height and suddenly not looking like such an old man after all. "Don't blame the chief. People don't act like themselves in these situations so just focus on what's important. Keeping everyone safe and alive."

"That's bullshit! My brother…."

"Emmett, it's fine," Edward said wearily as he watched the ambulance take Bella away. "Please, just get me to the hospital so I can know she's OK."

"She'll be fine, son. You did real good," the paramedic told him. "We can ride with one of the police officers to get their faster. But you need to be checked out at the hospital too."

Edward looked at Emmett who nodded. "Go ahead. I'll meet you there after I let mom and Alice know what's going on."

Keeping the blanket clutched around himself, Edward stumbled towards the cruiser and slid in the backseat. He barely listened to the forceful paramedic giving demanding orders to the officers to get in the car and drive like their mother's house was on fire. There was something about this guy that made even the cops jump. The old guy sat in the backseat with Edward just as the car took off like a bat out of hell.

"Let me see those fingers," he said as he grabbed Edward's hands and began probing in a surprisingly gentle way. "You are damn lucky you aren't losing a few of these, son. Can you feel when I poke the tips like this?"

Edward nodded weakly, although he admitted the feeling was sort of tingling and half numb. The look of concern on the paramedic's face didn't escape his notice, but he couldn't make himself care. All he could think about was Bella riding in the ambulance and wondering if she had woken up yet. If she hadn't, that was not a good sign. But, if she had, did she wonder where he was? Was she scared? How did she feel about finding her dad with her? Was she still angry with Charlie? Did she even remember what had happened? Damn! He should be with her!

The heater started to warm up the car and Edward's skin felt on fire from the sudden change in temperature. Inside his body, though, an intense chill seemed to linger making him shake all over. His arms and legs nearly convulsed and he clamped his jaw shut to keep his teeth from chattering out of his mouth. Fucking Hell! It felt like he was having a seizure.

"It won't last long," the old guy told him quietly. "Just try to ride it out and you're body will calm down soon. But I want to get your fingers looked at more closely as soon as we get to Forks General. And I imagine you're toes need to be looked at too."

"I want to see Bella as soon as we get there," Edward insisted through trembling limps.

"She has a head injury and who knows what else. They won't be ready to let anyone see her for quite a while. Just be patient."

Edward wanted to argue some more but it was too hard to talk, so he gave up and watched the trees fly passed the window. True to his word, the old guy ushered him strait to the ER as soon as they reached the hospital. He had two nurses and an intern set him up in an exam room before Edward could even think of slipping away. At least he had warmed up enough to stop shaking and he was grateful to replace his wet jeans with dry scrubs.

It felt like an eternity passed as people came in and out of the exam room. Edward counted two interns, at least three nurses, and even a guy with a mop who didn't seem to object to cleaning the floor around an occupied bed. The interns seemed to be especially concerned with his level of dehydration, so he shouldn't have been surprised when a nurse approached him with a long needle.

"Hey, what the hell?" Edward asked as he snatched his arm away from her.

"We need to start an IV," she explained.

"No you don't. I'm fine, and I need to get out of here," Edward told her, moving to get off the bed where they'd forced him to lay.

"You're not going anywhere until we get some fluids in you."

Fuck! Were all medical personal in Forks this bossy?

"Can't it wait?" he pleaded, trying to turn on a little charm. "I need to check on someone first."

The nurse chuckled. "You think I don't know? Half the town is out in the waiting room wanting to check on the Police Chief's daughter."

"What?" Edward looked at her in shock. "How?"

"Alice, that's how." Emmett explained as he stepped into the room carrying a duffle bag. "Damn, you look like hell, bro! How is it you look worse than you looked up on the mountain."

"Hospitals," Edward muttered as an explanation. "Can't you get dad to tell them to let me go?"

"Dad is watching over Bella's care. He was at the hospital already when they brought her in."

"Why was dad at the hospital?"

"He's been here all night," Emmett said. "He wanted to be here in case Bella was brought in. He thought he could do more good here than by joining the search. Everyone's been so worried about her."

"Everyone?"

"Alice got on the phone as soon as she got back into town. She didn't give a shit that it was the middle of the night either. I think she just started with the school rooster and called strait down the list. Then she hit the phone book."

"What the hell was she doing?"

"Getting everyone to join the search. She was going to have the entire county on that mountain looking for Bella by the time the sun came up. When they got word that Charlie had brought her into the hospital, though, half of them just showed up here instead."

"Holy shit!"

"You've no idea," Emmett laughed. "It looks like a pep rally out there."

"Ouch!" Edward yelled as the thick needle was suddenly pushed into his arm.

"Nice sucker punch," Emmett complimented the nurse. "Get him while he is distracted."

"I thought you were supposed to be on my side," Edward scowled as the IV was taped down in the bend of his elbow.

"I am, bro. That's why I brought you some real clothes to change into when they spring you from that bed." Emmett held up the duffle bag and smirked. "Unless, of course, you think Bella has a thing for scrubs. Some girls like the doctor look."

"I'll just be happy when she looks at me at all," Edward said in a subdued tone. "Do you even know is she's awake yet? What are they doing for her?"

"I'll make you a deal," Emmett walked over to the side of the bed so he could place his hand on his brother's shoulder. "You sit there like a good boy and let these nice people take care of _you_ for now, and I'll go find out some news on Bella." When Edward didn't look comforted, he added. "I promise to use ever trick I have from badgering to my irresistible charm until someone tells me something. And I'm not even taking bribery or blackmail off the table. OK?"

Edward smiled at that and nodded his head gratefully as he was left alone. At least he knew Bella was safely in the hospital and his dad was looking after her. He tried to think positively but his worry just wouldn't stop. What if she didn't wake up? What if she asked for him and no one came to let him know? What if they didn't let him see her at all?

He'd been so fucking scared holding her on that ledge. He knew he'd never been that scared in his life, and he hoped like hell he never was again. She's been so damn still and cold, like she was already slipping away. He couldn't stand that shit! He couldn't even think about it without feeling sick. Fuck!

Edward heard a sympathetic sigh from across the room and his eyes flashed up to see the same nurse standing there. He hadn't even heard her pull the curtain when she came back. He wondered how long she'd been watching him. It felt like he'd been alone for hours.

"Maybe I can find out some news for you," she generously offered. "I swear you look like you are about to cry."

Well, shit! Just when he was starting to think she wasn't so bad she had to call him out on being a cry baby? Edward wiped at his eyes and cleared his throat. Fucking hell, he _was_ a mess.

"Thanks," he managed to choke out.

The nurse gave him a knowing look. She was thinking he was pretty cute and sweet, even with the attitude. If she was twenty years younger, that is.

"Sit tight, kido," she told him. "I'm sure it can't be too much longer."

Walking out of the room the nurse asked where Dr. Cullen was and hoped he wouldn't mind her intruding to give him an update on his son.

"Doctor Cullen?" she called out quietly when she found him examining a chart near the surgical suites. "Can I have a word with you? It's about your son."

"My son?" Carlisle looked up. "Emmett or Edward? I thought they were both back down the mountain and waiting for word on Bella. Is everything all right?"

"Yes, doctor. Everything is fine. But …"

"Dr. Cullen! She's awake!"

Carlisle nearly dropped the chart when he heard the call from Bella's room.

"I'm sorry, excuse me," he told the nurse as he darted passed her.

Bella had not regained consciousness since she was admitted. Carlisle had spoken to Charlie briefly and learned that she was crying out some during the ambulance ride, but she had never opened her eyes. That wasn't a good sign considering the large wound he'd found on her head and the amount of time she'd spent in the cold. She had clearly been going into shock in addition to having a concussion. Neither of which had to be dire as long as she woke up soon.

"She's awake?" Carlisle repeated as he stepped into the room and approached the bed. "Bella?" he spoke softly as he leaned over her. "Can you hear me?"

Fluttering her eyes opened, Bella tried to focus on the voice she was hearing. There was too much light and sounds buzzing in her ears. But she knew this voice and she wanted to respond.

"Carlisle?" she whispered, barely moving her lips.

"Yes, Bella. It's me," Carlisle beamed with relief. "Do you know where you are?"

Bella managed to get her eyes to open wide enough to see the shine of that golden hair she'd known for years. She tried to think about his question. She felt so confused. She couldn't quite remember what he had asked, but she was pretty sure she didn't know the answer.

"Carlisle?" she repeated again. "I.. I.."

"It's all right, Bella. It's understandable that you'd be confused. You've been through a lot."

"Cold," Bella mumbled as the memories started flooding back. "So cold…"

"Yes, I know," Carlisle soothed. "I know, but you're all right now. We are going to take care of you."

"My arm… My arm hurts."

"You shoulder was dislocated but, thankfully, not broken. Bella, do you know where you are now?"

Bella lifted her head with some effort and looked around herself. "I'm in the hospital? How did I get here?"

"Your father brought you here in an ambulance after you were found. I guess you probably don't remember any of that."

Bella shook her head and continued to look around the room until her strength gave out. She lay back against the pillows with a frustrated groan. She felt like she was about to cry and she didn't know exactly why. Everything just hurt and she was still so confused.

"A lot of people have been very worried about you, young lady. Including me," Carlisle told her gently, placing his hand on her forehead. "Your mother and father have been pacing the floor waiting to see you. Would you like me to go get them?"

"No," Bella shook her head. "I don't want to see them."

"What?" Carlisle asked as he straightened up. "What do you mean?"

"I want Edward," Bella looked up so he could see the pleading in her eyes. "I just want to see Edward. Please."

"You want to see Edward?"

"Please!"

Carlisle continued to stare at her in complete surprise. "Bella, I don't understand."

"I want Edward. Where is he? Is he here?"

"Yes, he's here. Somewhere… But, Bella, your parents really need to see you right now. I'm sure Edward and Alice and Emmett will all want to see that you are all right eventually. Esme is anxious to see you too. Right now, though, let's just keep it to your parents. OK?"

"No!" Bella wasn't very loud but she was insistent. "I want to see Edward. Now! Please!"

"OK, Bella," Carlisle tried to placate her. "After you've seen your parents we can ask if…"

"I just want to see Edward! No one else, just Edward!"

Carlisle was shocked to see Bella burst into tears. She'd gone from barely awake to nearly hysterical in a matter of minutes. She needed to relax and rest, not become upset like this.

"Bella, it's all right," Carlisle looked up at the nurse who returned his concerned expression. "It's all right."

"I want Edward," Bella gasped through her sobs, feeling desperate and afraid.

"OK. OK. I'll get Edward for you." Carlisle touched her head. "Shhh… try to calm yourself, Bella. This isn't good for you right now. Just take a deep breath and I'll bring Edward in to see you. OK?"

Bella nodded but didn't stop crying. Carlisle was baffled by her behavior, but more concerned about keeping her calm than figuring out what had upset her so badly. He motioned for the nurse to stay with her and left quickly to go to the waiting room.

Emmett and Edward had arrived there just a brief moment before. After the nurse returned to Edward's room with news that Bella was awake, not even his older brother could keep Edward in that bed any longer. He nearly yanked the IV out himself and took two seconds to change out of the scrubs.

The crowd had thinned a bit, although Emmett hadn't exaggerated about the number of faces from school. As the two of them slipped in the back of the room, Edward quickly spotted Angela, Ben, Jessica, Mike, Eric… hell, even Lauren was there! Rosalie and Jasper were sitting with Alice, and Esme was standing beside Rene and Charlie. It was pretty obvious that Rene had been crying a lot.

The moment Carlisle arrived the whole room rose to their feet. Charlie put his arm around his wife as Carlisle came to stand directly in front of them.

"She's wake," Carlisle spoke loud enough for the whole room to hear. "She was pretty disorientated at first and she's still very emotional, but her thoughts seem to be clear. She knows where she is. She knew who I was right away. And she seems to remember some of what happened to her." He paused to let this information settle in. "She does have a pretty severe concussion that we are monitoring closely. Her arm is not broken, but her shoulder was dislocated. It's almost a blessing that she wasn't awake when we put it back in because at least she didn't have to feel the pain of that. We have it in a sling for now so she isn't tempted to move it too much."

Both Charlie and Rene were nodding as they listened intently.

"She's going to be all right?" Rene asked.

"We'll want to keep her here at least a day or two just for observation." Carlisle told them, but when he saw their expressions fall he added, "This is routine. We do want to monitor her but we also want to be sure she is getting plenty of rest and not being over-stressed. She's been through a lot."

"Of course. We understand," Charlie said. "Can we see her now?"

Carlisle hesitated and glanced up at the rest of the room before looking back at them.

"Please," Rene added. "We know she needs to rest, but we can still see her, right?"

"Actually," Carlisle began slowly, wondering how best to phrase this. "She's asking for Edward."

A pin dropping would have echoed through the silence that followed.

"What?" Charlie snapped.

"She wants to see Edward right now," Carlisle repeated.

Edward began to move forward, but Emmett grabbed his shoulder to hold him back a moment.

"Well," Charlie swallowed, trying to remain calm. "That may be, but we are her parents and _we_ want to see our daughter right now."

"Charlie," Carlisle sighed and spoke gently. "She doesn't want to see you. Either of you."

"She said that?" Rene gasped.

Carlisle nodded. "I'm sorry. I really am. I told you she is very emotional and we need to keep her calm."

"You cannot tell us that we can't see our own daughter!" Charlie hissed. "She needs us!"

"No," Carlisle said with a bit more strength. "She _needs_ to be kept calm and relaxed. Right now she is neither of these things. She is very upset."

"Why?" Rene asked in concern.

"Because she wants Edward," Carlisle tried to explain, shrugging his shoulders to show his own confusion. "She just keeps asking for him and she won't calm down."

That was as much as Edward could take and he charged towards his dad with Emmett close on his heels. Carlisle raised a curios eyebrow at his son. It seemed to say there would be more questions later but Edward only nodded to him.

"Take me to her," he demanded. When Charlie opened his mouth to protest, Edward whirled on him. "You still can't put her first, can you?"

"Edward!" Carlisle chastised.

"Damn it, dad! Just take me to her!"

"It's still up to her parents. Bella is a minor."

"That's not fair!" Alice piped up, suddenly stepping in and glaring daggers at Charlie. "Bella _needs_ Edward right now! How can you be so mean and still try to keep them apart?"

Carlisle's mouth dropped a little as he stared at his daughter like she had gone crazy.

"Alice," Emmett poked her in the side as a warning to shut up.

"What?" she asked, throwing up her hands. "Isn't the cat already out of the bag? Or close enough."

"Alice, what are you talking about?" Carlisle finally asked.

"Hasn't she been through enough?" Edward demanded, looking at Bella's parents.

"Yes she has," Rene whispered, tears falling from her eyes again. She looked up at her husband with a sorrowful shake of her head before turning her stare directly on Edward. "Go," she choked out, nodding to him. "Just go, Edward. She needs you."

Edward didn't wait for Charlie to agree or disagree. He brushed passed his dad to hurry down the hallway, determined to find her room himself if he needed to. Carlisle caught up with him and motioned to a door just around the corner. Edward charged ahead of him and pushed his way into the room.

The nurse jumped at the sudden sound of the door and stepped away from the bed. Bella was sitting up slightly on three large pillows, her arm hanging in a loose sling. Her drenched clothes had been replaced with a white, cotton hospital gown dotted all over with tiny blue flowers, and a small bandage had been placed on one of her cheeks. Her long hair fell limply over her shoulders and tear stains streaked her pale face.

Bella gave small cry when she saw Edward walk in the room. He rushed to her bed in three long strides and gently took her face in his hands.

"You were gone," Bella stuttered out between trembling lips. "I didn't know where you were."

"I'm sorry, baby," Edward told her as he placed tender kisses on her face. "I'm here now. I'm here."

"Stay with me."

"I will," Edward pulled back an inch to stare deeply into her eyes. "I swear I won't leave you again."

"I knew you were with me," Bella continued to choke out weakly as she reached with her good hand to put her fingers in his soft, copper hair. "I was so scared and confused… and so _cold_. But I knew you were there. I didn't know where we were but I knew you were there and then… and then... you were gone. I didn't know where you were." She started to cry again. "I didn't know where you were…."

"Shhh…. Shhh….It's OK. I'm here now, sweetheart," Edward soothed as he ran his hands over her hair and down her neck. He kissed both of her eyelids and trailed his mouth along her temple. "You don't have to be scared. I'm not going anywhere."

"Stay with me," Bella clutched his hair tighter and tried to pull him closer. "Stay with me, please."

Edward reached his arms under her back and gathered her against him. Being careful of her sling, he slipped in part-way behind her so he could hold her to his chest. His arm wrapped around her waist, his hand resting on her stomach. His other hand gently stroked her face and tilted her head to look back at him.

"I've got you, Bella. I'm not letting go. OK?" he kissed forehead as she nodded. "You need to try to stay calm now. Can you do that for me? Can you just relax and let me hold you?"

"You'll stay with me, right?" Bella's voice quivered.

"Yes. I promise I'll stay right here. But my dad said it is important for you to rest and not get upset. I just want you to try to do that, OK?"

"I think I can do that if you're here."

"I'm not going anywhere, baby," Edward repeated, kissing her cheek again.

Bella relaxed against him and started stroking her fingers along his forearm at her waist. She seemed to have completely forgotten that they weren't alone in the room, and Edward simply didn't care. After a minute Carlisle cleared his throat and nodded to the nurse to follow him.

"We'll just let her rest for a bit," he told his son. "Press the button if she needs anything."

Edward didn't even look up as the two of them left the room, but he knew his father didn't really expect a reply. His entire focus was on Bella as he reminded himself again and again that she really was safe now and he wasn't going to lose her. He could feel Bella shutter in his arms and he tried to sooth her. He knew her mind was racing as it all started coming back to her in pieces. No wonder she was having trouble relaxing. Her hand would occasionally grip his arm, even digging in weakly with her nails, before she would take a deep breath and force herself to let go. Almost ten minutes went by before she finally spoke again.

"What happened to Jacob?" she asked hesitantly.

"You don't have to worry about him," Edward told her. "He can't hide the truth anymore. It's out in the open now and he isn't getting away with anything this time."

"And Leah?" Bella whispered, afraid of the answer she might get. "Please tell me they found her and she's OK."

"Leah's fine, Bella. You're hurt worse than she is right now, so don't worry about anything." Edward held her head down on his shoulder a little tighter, wanting to feel her as close to him as he could. "How much do you remember about what happened in the cabin," he asked cautiously.

"Everything," she replied without pause. She knew what he was worried about. "I got away, Edward. I got away from him." She felt his relieved breath as it rushed out over the top of her head. "He hit me and held me down," she continued, feeling his arms tighten even more around her. "He… He grabbed at me and pulled at my clothes and tried to kiss me… but I fought him. I fought him hard, Edward."

"I know you did, baby," he spoke into her hair. "I'm so proud of you."

Hearing his words, Bella squeezed his arm relentlessly and began to cry again. "I'm sorry, Edward. I'm so, so sorry!"

"What are you talking about?" Edward asked in alarm. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Yes I do," Bella cried. "I put you through Hell. I was so stupid and you could have died!"

"Shhhh…. Baby, don't." Edward tried to rock her in his arms soothingly but she only cried harder.

"You found me. I know you did. I remember some of it even after I fell," she continued to babble through her tears. "It was freezing. _You_ were freezing! Because you wouldn't leave me. You stayed with me and you could have died… and it's all my fault because I didn't think about any of that or what could have happened because I was just so mad at Jacob… and I was so selfish and stupid and I'm so sorry…"

"Stop it, Bella. Stop," Edward said gently as he eased himself away from her.

She tried to do as he asked, knowing he wanted her to calm down. She tried to take deep breaths but it only made her hiccup on her sobs. It was all too much. Just too much to hold in.

Edward turned to sit facing Bella on the bed. He tried to ease her back down on her pillows, but she grabbed his arm frantically.

"No! Stay with me, please!" she suddenly gasped. "I'll stop crying. I'll calm down. Just stay with me!"

"Bella, I'm not leaving you!" Edward pulled her into his arms again. "I'll never fucking leave you! I'll stay in this damn room every second until you are discharged if you want me to."

"Yes!" Bella wailed into his chest, not caring how irrational it sounded. "Stay with me! Don't leave!"

Edward just held her close, murmuring promises that he would stay no matter what and pleading with her to calm down.

"I'm sorry," Bella sighed after she had caught her breath. "I don't know what I'm saying. I know I'm not making any sense. I'm just so tired."

"I know you are, baby," Edward told her. "You need to rest. Nothing else right now, just rest."

"OK. You rest too," Bella sniffed, making Edward chuckle.

"Bossy," he teased, kissing the top of her head.

Bella laughed at that even though she was still trying to stop crying. "Only you can do that," she gasped, trying to decide if her amusement or tears were going to win out. "Only you can make me laugh and smile when I bawling my eyes out." A shutter went through her body as she pulled back from his arms and lowered her gaze. "I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you, Edward. I can't even imagine losing you."

"You won't ever lose me." Edward promised, as he titled her chin up. "Look at me, Bella. I want to tell you something. Do you remember what you said earlier in our meadow? You told me it had always been me. Remember?"

Bella gave him a shy smile as he trailed his fingers down her cheek. "I remember."

"Up on the mountain when you were lost and I couldn't find you… And when I was holding you in the dark and it was so cold and you were so still…." Edward stopped to take a shuttering breath. "I remembered what you had said and it was so ridiculously clear to me. I knew exactly what you meant. And it is the same for me. _Nothing_ matters to me more than you. Nothing ever will. It's always been you. It's like you are a part of me. And there is nothing I wouldn't do for you. I'd die for you, Bella."

"Edward…"she breathed, reaching up to touch his cheek.

"It's true, Bella," Edward held her face in his hands. "We may have been enemies a week ago… But I have loved you all of my life."

* * *

**_A/N: _**

**_I probably shouldn't say it, but this chapter is very close to my heart. It just got to me and I really hope it got to some of you too :) _**

**_Thanks for reading!_**

**_~Alexanya  
_**


	21. Too Little, Too Late

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Enemy Mine

Chapter 21: "Too Little, Too Late"

"You won't ever lose me." Edward promised, as he titled her chin up. "Look at me, Bella. I want to tell you something. Do you remember what you said earlier in our meadow? You told me it had always been me. Remember?"

Bella gave him a shy smile as he trailed his fingers down her cheek. "I remember."

"Up on the mountain when you were lost and I couldn't find you… And when I was holding you in the dark and it was so cold and you were so still…." Edward stopped to take a shuttering breath. "I remembered what you had said and it was so ridiculously clear to me. I knew exactly what you meant. And it is the same for me. _Nothing_ matters to me more than you. Nothing ever will. It's always been you. It's like you are a part of me. And there is nothing I wouldn't do for you. I'd die for you, Bella."

"Edward…"she breathed, reaching up to touch his cheek.

"It's true, Bella," Edward held her face in his hands. "We may have been enemies a week ago… But I have loved you all of my life."

"Edward…" Bella sighed again, placing her hand over his where it held her cheek. "Oh, Edward…You know, you can be such an asshole sometimes."

"That really wasn't the reaction I was expecting," Edward stated as he pulled back and squinted to see if she was serious.

"You know I'm right," she insisted, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling his face close to hers. "You are such an asshole. You have tried to drive me crazy since we were little kids. You always challenged me at anything you could. You've fought with me. You've tested my patience. No one can infuriate me the way you can…. And I have _loved_ you in every moment of it." Bella smiled as emotions welled in her eyes. "I don't know how _not_ to love you, Edward. I just love you so much!"

Edward grinned at her like his face might burst. "You're such a shrew," he said adoringly.

"And you love me for it."

"I really, really do…" Edward brought his mouth down to hers in a soft kiss.

Bella sighed, pulling on his hair to deepen the kiss and parting her lips beneath his. Her mouth was so warm and Edward savored the sweet taste of her as he slowly moved his tongue inside. Bella stroked his tongue with hers before sucking it further into her mouth. Edward groaned and moved his hands into her hair to bring her even closer. Bella squeezed her eyes tightly as her head started to spin.

"You're mine," she murmured against his lips, breaking apart before sagging into his chest.

"Yes," Edward agreed, catching his breath as he held her. "And you're exhausted."

"Mmm, hmmm…." Bella replied. "So are you."

"But I don't have a head injury."

"Fine," she conceded, nestling against him deeper. "But you have to rest with me. You nearly froze to death too."

"Don't worry about me. You just go to sleep."

"You won't go anywhere, right?"

"I'm not going anywhere without you, Bella. We are stuck with each other for good."

"Damn right…" she mumbled as she began to breathe evenly.

In less than a minute she drifted off to sleep and Edward turned them both to lean against the pillows so she could cuddle up on her side. He carefully tucked her injured arm between them and Bella twisted in her sleep so she could throw her other arm across his body and lay her cheek over his heart.

They lay like that for the next hour. Edward knew it was exactly one hour because he watched the clock the entire time. She looked so peaceful resting on his chest; more calm than he'd seen her in ages. He hated the thought of waking her when the hour was up, but he was so damn scared about her concussion that it took all his strength just to let her stay asleep even that long.

"Bella," he whispered lightly, rubbing the side of her face with his thumb. "Bella, wake up for just a minute, sweetheart. OK? You can go right back to sleep, but I need you to open your eyes and look at me for a second."

His voice roused her and she nuzzled his chest with her cheek. Her nose twitched as she started to open her eyes and Edward thought that was probably the cutest damn thing in the whole fucking world.

"Are you awake, baby?"

"Mmm.. hmmm…I think so," she said in a sleepy voice as she stared up at him and smiled. "I'm still tired though."

"That's OK. You still need a lot of rest. I was just checking on you," Edward told her. "Go ahead and close your eyes so you can go back to sleep."

Bella gave a tiny nod but fought to keep her drowsy eyes opened, looking up at him expectantly.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Did you have a bad dream?"

When Bella shook her head and tilted her face up searchingly, Edward finally caught on and leaned down to press his lips to hers.

"Mmm… I needed that," Bella murmured, pulling away with her eyes still closed and burrowing into him again.

"Any time," Edward joked. "It's one of the best perks in the Good Boyfriend Handbook."

"Shut up…" Bella tried to smack his chest, but she was so weak that it only felt like a tap.

"I needed that too, baby," Edward whispered to her. "I always will."

It only took a few seconds for Bella to fall completely under again. Just a couple of minutes later Carlisle came quietly into the room. He noticed Bella sleeping deeply against Edward, and closed the door gently behind him.

"How is she doing?" he whispered to his son.

Edward stroked Bella's hair back from her face before looking at his father. "She's worn out, but she's OK."

"We need to wake her up for a bit. It's not good to let her sleep too much."

"I know. I just woke her up a minute ago. She's fine."

"Good. That's good, but I'll need to have a nurse come in here and check her vitals."

"She just went back to sleep," Edward protested. "Can't it wait?"

Instead of replying, Carlisle stood at the foot of the bed and cocked his head in thought. "Edward…. Charlie and Rene really want to see her."

"No."

"Son," he sighed. "They are her parents…"

"She said she didn't want to see them. You know that."

"Yes, but it isn't entirely up to her."

"So you are going to let them in here even if she doesn't want it?" Edward hissed in anger, trying to keep his voice down. "Doesn't she have any rights at all?"

"I don't want Bella upset. That is the last thing I want," Carlisle assured him. "But Charlie and Rene are frantic out there. Rene hasn't stopped crying. They just want to see their daughter."

"Too little, too late!" Edward snapped, instinctively holding Bella closer.

"I don't know what's happened between Bella and her parent," Carlisle sighed as he gestured towards the bed in frustration. "And I certainly have no idea what is going on between the two of you…"

Edward said nothing.

"All right," Carlisle went on. "Maybe Charlie and Rene could just peek in on her while she is sleeping?"

"Dad, that's not right. She at least deserves to know if they are visiting her. I'm not going to let you take her control away like that!"

"Edward, calm down. It was just a thought. But, yes, I see your point."

"Just tell them that if they really care about Bella they will do what is best for her and not what is best for them. Tell them that she needs them to leave her alone until she wants to see them."

Carlisle didn't respond to Edward's ranting, but continued to watch him inquisitively. "How are _you_ feeling, son?" he finally asked, walking around the side of the bed.

"I'm fine."

"Your brother told me what you did; that you found her and stayed with her. And I spoke to the doctors who saw you when you were brought in. Are your fingers still numb?"

Edward shrugged. "They're getting better."

"I'm _proud_ of you, Edward," Carlisle said, smiling for the first time.

"Why?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"You saved her life, son."

"You don't need to be proud of me for _that_," Edward said with a slight smile, shaking his head. "I don't know if I actually saved her life or not… but no one could have stopped me from trying."

"I'm still proud of you," Carlisle grinned, raising his eyebrow. "And… I realize you're the one Bella wants here right now, which I get the feeling is about more than just you rescuing her..?"

Edward tried to think of a response, but Bella took that moment to start whimpering fitfully. She moved her head back and forth a few time, clenching and unclenching her fist where it rested on Edward's abs. She was mostly incoherent except for mumbling "yes" and "no" several times.

"Is she all right?' Carlisle asked in concern. "We can't give her anything to help her sleep in her condition, unfortunately."

"She's OK, dad," Edward said, taking hold of her hand. "Bella always talks in her sleep."

Stoking the back of her hand with his thumb, Edward watched as she settled again before looking back up at his dad. It was only after seeing the expression on Carlisle's face that Edward realized what he had said.

"Dad!" he gasped, starting to blush. "Give me a break! She's slept over like a thousand times!"

Shit! That actually didn't help at all. His father's eyebrows looked like they might literally disappear if he raised them anymore.

"I mean with Alice! I mean their little sleepovers! I mean… damn it, dad! You know what I mean!"

Carlisle chuckled at his son's floundering, but shook his head to indicate the conversation wasn't entirely humorous. "I think a talk is in our future, son," he said pointedly. "I'd like to ask if Bella has ever spent the night in someone's room _other_ than your sister's during one of her stays…"

"Dad..."

"But I'm honestly not sure I could handle the answer right now." Carlisle averted his eyes and shook his head again as he moved towards the door. "I'll be back with a nurse in about 45 minutes," he said as he left, closely the door behind him.

"You'd better hope he doesn't ask if you've ever stayed all night in _my_ room," Bella murmured against Edward's shirt.

"You're supposed to be sleeping," Edward told her, looking down to see her eyes were still closed.

"And miss that entertaining conversation?"

"How much did you hear?"

"I tuned in at 'Bella always talks in her sleep."

"Why didn't you say something?"

Bella finally opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Because I was having way too much fun listening to you squirm."

"Thanks a lot."

"Just don't plan on a career as a defense attorney. OK?"

"He caught me off guard, that's all."

Bella titled her head back thoughtfully. "So… do they all know now?"

"About us?" Edward blinked a few times. "I'm not sure. I haven't really had a chance to think about it. I've just been worried about you."

"You can stop worrying about me, I'm fine now," Bella told him, pulling her hand out of his so she could rub his chest soothingly. "But Carlisle certainly has some idea that something is going on between us."

"Oh, he definitely has an idea. I mean, everyone does."

"How?"

"Well, you did make my dad tell your parents that I was the only person you wanted to see." Edward couldn't quite stop his smug grin as her reminded her of that.

"I did?"

Edward's grin fell a bit. "You don't remember?"

"Oh, no, I remember! I mean, I remember being confused and not knowing where you were," Bella rested her head on his chest again. "And I remember seeing your dad and asking him to get you for me. We argued about it, I think. He tried to talk me into seeing my parents and I started to cry… I think I was crying for you… I was really out of it when I first woke up."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here, baby. I tried to be. I was going crazy being kept away from you."

"You were with me when I needed you the most," Bella told him, placing a kiss on his neck. "But, what did you mean 'everyone' has an idea now. Who else was there?"

"Pretty much the whole school."

"What?"

Bella tried to sit up but Edward wrapped his arms around her to pull her back to him.

"Not entirely the whole school," he said, trying to calm her. "Probably no more than 20 or 25 people."

"What? Why?"

"Why do you think? Because they were worried about you."

"They were here for me? Who were they?"

"Mostly who you'd expect. Jessica, Angela, Ben, Eric …. Mike," he choked out the last name with a grimace.

"But why did they all come here? How did they know?"

"Alice."

"Alice? Alice got them here?"

"You're really surprised by that?"

"I don't understand," Bella admitted, scrunching up her eyes before leaning into him.

"You're tired, baby. I can explain later."

"No, please explain now. I want to know what happened."

Edward sighed and rested his cheek on the top of her hair. He rubbed her shoulder and braced himself for the memories.

"When Alice found out you were missing, she grabbed Jessica and Angela and got Mike to drive them up the mountain."

"How did Alice find out?"

"She was talking to Charlie when Leah called the station."

"Leah called the station?"

"Baby," Edward said slowly. "If you try to get every detail right now you are really going to exhaust yourself."

"Fine," Bella sighed. "I'll quit interrupting."

Edward kissed her forehead. "When the search was called off for the night, I guess Alice just started calling everyone she could; waking them up and telling them to be ready to help search as soon as the sun rose."

"She did that?"

"And when you were brought to the hospital before morning, most of them came here to see if you were OK."

"Wow…"

"Don't be so stunned. A lot of people love you."

Bella was silent for a moment, trying to take it all in. Alice had come through for her. She'd been there when she really needed help and did all she could. That brought a sense of warmth to her heart that Bella hadn't even realized was missing. Alice really was there for her. Alice and…

"Emmett," Bella finally spoke. "Emmett was there too, wasn't he?"

"Emmett saved _both _our asses, baby."

"But… you said the search was called off for the night. How did you find me?"

Edward brushed her hair back as she looked up at him. "Bella, do you really think anything could have made me stop searching for you?" he asked soberly. "No one could have made me leave that mountain last night. Not without you."

Bella held his gaze and fought the tightening in her throat. "You are going to make me cry again," she whispered, blinking back the tears.

"Don't cry, sweetheart," he said, kissing the corner of her mouth. "Just relax and sleep now."

Bella yawned. "Why bother now? Carlisle will be in here with a nurse in just a little while."

Edward sat up and started to slip out from behind her. "Maybe we should ask him to come back in now, so you can rest longer."

"OK," Bella agreed, settling against her pillows as he stood up and pressed the call button. "But one more question. Who called off the search?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said the search was called off but no one could make you go, right?"

Edward looked away from her. "It was just normal pro... uh... practice to stop searching at night. To make sure no one else got lost."

"Normal practice? Who called it off, Edward?" When he didn't answer her, Bella knew. "My dad. Charlie called off the search, didn't he?"

Edward turned to sit back down on the side of the bed. "Bella," he began gently. "You know I'm not a big fan of your dad's, but I can tell you that Charlie was very worried about you."

"So worried that he tried to get you to stop looking for me?"

"He probably thought I'd get myself mauled by a bear," Edward said, trying to get her to smile. "And… Charlie's been trained in search and rescue so he knows the procedure."

"Why are you defending him?"

"Defending your dad? Baby, that is the last fucking thing I ever thought you'd accuse me of doing." Edward put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her gently back onto the pillows again. "I just don't want you to feel like your dad doesn't care about you."

"What makes you think he does?"

Edward groaned. Damn it, he was NOT going to be Charlie Swan's fucking champion here! But Bella needed to know how much she was loved… even by a father who didn't deserve her.

"Look," Edward started, "I am seriously pissed off at the man right now and I don't have one nice thing to say about him… except that maybe he was trying to find you the best way he knew how. Like a cop."

"For once I just wish he could be less of a cop and more of a father."

"He _was_ worried about you. I saw it. And… you know… of course he loves you and stuff."

"Too little, too late," Bella scowled.

Edward smiled. "That is exactly what I said when Carlisle was telling me how badly your parents want to see you."

"Really? Are they still waiting?"

"I'm sure they are," Edward stroked the hair back from her forehead. "Do you _want_ to see them, sweetheart?"

Bella shook her head. "But I feel like I should want to see them."

"Why the hell should you want to see them?"

"I guess I could have died and they _are_ my parents. I feel like if I were a better person I'd let bygones be bygones, or whatever. But I'm just so angry with them that I can't!"

"Fuck 'bygone' or whatever!" Edward exclaimed. "You have every right to be angry with them. I know I am!"

"But you just said…"

"I said they love you and they are worried about you. And it's about damn time that they realized they should be! But that doesn't make up for everything else all at once. It doesn't mean that you should just forgive and get over it right now."

"Too little, too late?" Bella asked.

"Exactly!" Edward slid his hand under her hair to rub her neck. "Baby, we all want our parents to love us, no matter what. I just want you to understand that your parents do love you. It doesn't mean you shouldn't be pissed off at them." Edward leaned closer to run his lips over her forehead and down to her cheek. "It just means you are totally loveable."

"Oh really?" Bella smiled. "I am?"

"Oh hell yeah," Edward insisted, giving her a quick, firm kiss.

"So are you," she whispered, kissing him in return and leaning her forehead against his. "Thank you for saying all that. It's not like I don't love my mom and dad. I just don't think I could keep my temper in check if I had to see them right now. Just thinking about them acting all concerned _now_ when I don't need their help anymore… it just makes me want to scream!"

"Well, that settles it then," Edward told her. "You are supposed to be resting and staying calm, not having your temper boil over. So, it wouldn't be good for you to see them right now and that's the end of it."

"Are you sure you're not just giving me an excuse so I don't have to feel guilty?"

"No fucking way! You have nothing to feel guilty about. This is all on them, sweetheart."

"I'm surprised Charlie hasn't just barged in already, to tell you the truth. I was almost scared he would try to keep you from seeing me."

"He did try?"

"He did?" Bella sat back up quickly. "Are you fucking kidding me? After all this, he still tried to keep you away from me?"

"Baby, calmed down," Edward pleaded. "I wasn't about to let that happen and, in the end, your mom backed me up."

"That fucking bastard!" Bella continued to rant. "I can't believe him! And to think that I started to feel guilty for being mad in the first place! How dare he try that shit again!"

"Is there a problem here?" Carlisle interrupted Bella's tirade as he walked in the room. "What's going on?"

Edward stood up as his dad came to stand beside the bed. "She's just a little upset," he explained. "I pressed the call button so you could check on her before she went back to sleep."

Carlisle gave his son a concerned look before turning his attention to Bella. "Is everything all right?"

"Are you going to make me see my parents?" Bella blurted out. "I mean, can they force me to see them even if I don't want to? Can they keep Edward from seeing me?"

"Bella, no one is making you do anything," Carlisle assured her, looking at Edward knowingly before moving closer to the bed. "Try not to upset yourself."

"I'm sorry," she took a deep breath. "I'm not trying to cause any problems. Edward just mentioned they were still waiting out there and…I don't want to see them."

"Did something happen with your parents, Bella?" Carlisle asked gently. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to but this doesn't sound like you. And your mother and father are extremely anxious."

"Dad!" Edward exclaimed in a warning tone.

"It's OK," Bella told him. "I know I'm not acting like myself, Carlisle. I know you are just trying to help. But it's just… it's complicated."

"And really _not_ something she needs to go into right now," Edward added insistently. "Just tell her she doesn't have to see her parents, dad, so she can rest."

Carlisle didn't show any offense at his son's tone and reached out to put a gentle hand on Bella's arm. "You are my main concern. Not Charlie or Rene, but you. And I don't think it would be good for you, medically, to see your parents right now. Not if it is going to upset you so much."

"Thank you, Carlisle."

"Why don't we get the nurse in here to check a few things and then you can go back to sleep. Does that sound all right?"

"Edward can still stay with me, right?"

"I'm not going anywhere," Edward said firmly, stepping forward to take Bella's hand.

Carlisle stared at their joined hands for a moment. "Of course Edward can stay with you if you want him to, Bella. Let's just have him step out for a moment when the nurse comes in."

"He doesn't have to go," Bella said, intertwining her fingers more tightly with his. "I don't mind if he stays in here."

"You don't mind if Edward is in the room while you are examined?"

"No," Bella shrugged. "It's fine with me." In truth, she couldn't imagine why it would bother her for him to be there. She was more comfortable with Edward that with most people anyway.

"Well," Carlisle cleared his throat. "I suppose it is all right, then. But, Edward, perhaps you could step out and have a few words with your brother and sister. They don't want to leave the hospital until they've had a chance to check on Bella. Maybe you could suggest they come back later this afternoon when she is more rested."

"Where is mom?"

"She's with Rene right now," Carlisle explained, looking at both of them. "And Charlie. I think she convinced them to go with her to get some food downstairs."

"Edward you should eat something too," Bella realized and suddenly looked panicked. "Have you eaten anything at all?"

"I'm fine, baby," he said, bending down quickly to give her a reassuring kiss. "Don't worry about me."

Carlisle's eyebrows reached his hairline again.

Oops! Did he really just kiss Bella in front of his dad?

"Um… Do you think you could talk to Emmett and Alice for me when you go get the nurse?" Edward asked, pretending not to notice the look his father was giving him. "Just so I don't have to leave her…?"

"I suppose I could do that, son," Carlisle said slowly, his eyebrows still raised. "It would probably be best if you didn't risk running into Charlie anyway."

"Do you think I could see them for a minute?" Bella asked. "Alice and Emmett, I mean."

Carlisle looked at Bella's tired eyes that were still rimmed in shadow. "I would really prefer you get some rest right now, young lady," he told her with a caring smile.

"Do I look that bad?" she joked.

"You actually do look a little paler than I'd like," he observed. "I'm going to go get the nurse."

Carlisle exited the room and immediately sent the nurse in to check on Bella. After that it didn't take him long to track down his other two children. They were sitting in the main lounge area watching the early show run the weather forecast for the sixth time that morning. Rosalie's father had shown up just before dawn with threats of eternal grounding if she didn't come home and stay there. Jasper was still sitting with Alice, though, offering his support. The rest of Forks High School had dissipated with the news that Bella was recovering, leaving the waiting area relatively empty.

When they saw their father approaching, Emmett and Alice slowly rose to their feet, as if they were looking for a reason to stretch but not planning to leave.

"How is she? Did you check on her again?" Alice asked.

"She's all right," Carlisle answered as they came to stand in front of him. "She's awake now so I'm having the nurse do a more thorough check-up. Did your mother take Charlie and Rene to the cafeteria?"

"Yeah," Emmett replied. "She had to practically drag them down there. I think they were afraid they'd miss it if Bella asked to see them."

"I'm afraid that's not very likely."

"You're right, dad. It's NOT," Emmett insisted with a hint of anger.

Carlisle narrowed his eyes at both of them. "You know what is going on with Bella and her parents?"

Emmett shrugged and Alice looked at her feet.

Carlisle sighed in frustration. "Well, in any case, it would be a bad idea for them to see her now."

"Can we see her?" Alice asked hopefully.

"No. I'm sorry, but not yet."

"Why?"

"Because she needs her rest," he explained. "The only reason your brother is in there is because it would upset Bella too much if we made him leave."

"Like you _could_ make him leave," Emmett chuckled under his breath.

Carlisle heard Emmett's comment and through his hands up in frustration. "I don't have the energy to be patient any longer, so will one of you please just tell me what the _hell_ is going on between Edward and Bella?"

Alice and Emmett both stared blankly at their father and kept silent.

"Um…" Alice finally began when she couldn't take the tension anymore. "Well, what do you _think_ is going on between them?"

Carlisle rolled his eyes. "How long?" he asked. "Is this a new thing? Because, from what I've seen, it doesn't look like a new development?"

Alice and Emmett exchanged glances before shrugging their shoulders in unison. They really weren't sure how to answer that question.

"All right, I'm not going to ask you to break any confidences here," Carlisle said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Bella really does want to see both of you, by the way?"

"She asked for me?" Alice said hopefully "Me specifically?"

"Yes, you specifically. You and Emmett both. She asked if she could see you before she went back to sleep, but I convinced her to let you come back this afternoon. She needs to rest."

Alice was beaming and her eyes were wet. "Dad, I really, _really_, need to talk to her."

"Then why don't you go home and get some sleep so you both can be awake to talk?"

"OK, OK… just tell her I didn't want to leave without seeing her. Tell her I'll come back the second she is ready for me."

"Alice, I'm sure she knows that…"

"It's important, dad! Please, promise you'll tell her?"

"Yes, Alice, I'll tell her. Emmett, will you please take your sister home so you can both rest. Bella is going to feel better knowing that you aren't just out here waiting on her."

"Yeah, that does sound like her," Emmett agreed. "Come on, brat."

Carlisle watched the two of them leave and hurried back toward Bella's room, wondering if all his children were losing their minds.

"Dr. Cullen?" a young woman behind the nurses' station called out to him. "These gentlemen need to talk to you."

Two uniformed police officers were standing off to the side looking stoic to the point of boredom.

Carlisle looked at them in confusion. "Is there something I can do for you?"

The larger of the two men stepped forward with a slow swagger. "We just need to ask Ms. Swan a few questions about what happened to her. Would now be an all right time?"

"Chief Swan is here in the hospital. I imagine he would be the one…"

"The chief told us to check with you, Dr. Cullen," the second officer replied, with a more polite tone than his partner had used. "He doesn't want his daughter questioned until you think she is ready."

"In that case, I don't think now is a good time," Carlisle replied. "Although I don't know what about getting lost and injuring herself would require being questioned by the police…?"

The two officers exchanged glances that told Carlisle that, yet again, he didn't know everything that was going on. What the hell did the police need to question Bella for?

"We'll check back again later today and see how she is feeling then," the second officer said. "Thanks for your time."

"Dr. Cullen?" the nurse behind the counter called to him again before the officers had even turned to leave.

"Yes?"

"They need you in the patient's room."

Carlisle realized the nurse was gesturing towards Bella's room and the instant worry he felt pushed all other thoughts away. He went to the door immediately and walked in without even pausing to knock.

Edward had moved to the far side of the bed, where he sat perched on the edge of a vinyl chair holding Bella's hand. Bella was lying on her back with her eyes closed and Carlisle noticed again how pale she was looked, especially against the white cotton of the pillow cases. The nurse walked over the Carlisle as soon as he had closed the door and presented him with Bella's chart. He took a few moments to look it over, his eyes tightening as he frowned over what he read. When he finally looked up he realized Edward and Bella were both watching him in silent concern.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, trying to brighten the tone of his voice.

"Tired," Bella replied softly, fiddling with Edward's fingers absentmindedly.

Carlisle nodded. "I want to put you on oxygen for a little while. That should help you feel better."

"Why?" Edward asked, but his dad was already sending the nurse out of the room with instructions and avoiding his question. When the nurse was gone, he still hesitated longer than Edward liked.

"This is really something I ought to discuss with your parents, Bella," Carlisle finally started explaining. "But, I'm a little concerned that your oxygen levels are so low. It could be nothing, but we do need to monitor it."

Bella listened to Carlisle's words, but looked to Edward for his reassuring nod before she relaxed.

"OK. But does that mean I can have this IV out now?"

"It's not a trade, Bella," Carlisle smiled.

"Can't we negotiate?"

"No, you need both, young lady. You're still dehydrated too."

"How come Edward doesn't have to be all hooked up to tubes and get needles stuck in him?" Bella sighed.

"Because I wasn't the injured one," Edward piped in. "And I actually did have an IV when I first got to the hospital."

"You did?" Bella's teasing turned to concern. "You didn't tell me that. Are you OK?"

Edward nodded, "It was nothing."

"From what I heard Edward nearly ripped the IV out himself," Carlisle said.

"Come on, dad, I wasn't going to stay in that bed when Bella was waking up."

"Edward!" Bella rolled her eyes. "What if you still need the IV?"

"I don't. I'm fine."

"You don't know that. Why would they bother if you didn't need it?"

"Dad, tell Bella I'm fine."

"Carlisle, tell Edward that _he_ hasn't been to medical school and should listen to the doctors."

"Dad, tell Bella that…"

. "I didn't get in the middle of your bickering when you were little, and I'm certainly not going to now," Carlisle laughed in spite of himself.

"Will you at least make him eat something?"

"I'll bring something back from the cafeteria after I've spoken with your parent, Bella."

"My parents? Why?"

"Well, I still need to discuss any treatment you have with them. You're a minor."

Bella felt Edward stiffen beside her and she released his fingers to stroke his arm. "It's OK," she told him soothingly. "They'll go along with whatever your dad suggests."

"You know, Bella," Carlisle spoke carefully. "They might be willing to go home for awhile if they could just peek in and see you. Do you think that would upset you too much?"

Edward wanted to snap at his dad for bringing this up again, but he let Bella speak for herself.

"Yes it would," Bella confirmed. "I'm not ready to see them. Anything they say or do right now is going to upset me. I know this won't make sense to you but even hearing them tell me they love me would just make me so angry…" Bella clenched her fists and took a deep breath.

"I didn't realize it was so bad, Bella," Carlisle said with sincere sadness. "I'm really sorry."

Edward rubbed Bella's shoulder comfortingly, hating to see her so obviously torn up inside. He knew she was going to have to face her parents eventually, but she couldn't do it right now. Didn't his dad see that?

"The nurse will be back soon and then you can rest again," Carlisle said turning towards the door. As he started to open it, he stopped himself and turned back. "I almost forgot. Bella, I have a message from Alice that she made me promise to give you."

Bella opened her eyes again with interest. "What is it?"

"She and Emmett did agree to go home and rest but she wanted to be sure you knew that she didn't want to leave and she will be back as soon as you are ready to see her."

Bella smiled at that. Alice was really trying to be a better friend. "If you speak to her, will you give her a message from me? Tell her that I'm really looking forward to a long visit with my BFF."

Carlisle nodded, silently deciding that he should just give up trying to understand his children's behavior anymore. "Is there anything you want me to say to your parents, Bella?" he asked gently as he went to open the door again. "Do you have a message for them?"

Bella's face fell as she sat silent for a moment. "Yes, I do have a message for them," she finally spoke, reaching out to squeeze Edward's hand. "Tell them this, Carlisle. Tell them Bella said…. 'Too little, too late."

* * *

**_The drama is not over yet... and neither is their HOT Spring Break. More to come soon!_**

**_As always, thank you so much for reading!_**

**_~Alexanya_**


	22. TLC

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Enemy Mine

Chapter 22: "TLC"

"Is there anything you want me to say to your parents, Bella?" Carlisle asked gently as he went to open the door again. "Do you have a message for them?"

Bella's face fell as she sat silent for a moment. "Yes, I do have a message for them," she finally spoke, reaching out to squeeze Edward's hand. "Tell them this, Carlisle. Tell them Bella said…. 'Too little, too late."

Carlisle was stunned by Bella's statement, but he was careful to conceal it. Instead, he looked at her with all the support and sympathy that he could manage. Something was very wrong with this girl who was like a second daughter to him, and not just physically. If there could be something good to come out of this horrible accident she'd been through, it was that maybe some of her real needs were being brought to the surface. How could they all have missed how much pain she was clearly in?

Well, maybe everyone hadn't missed it, he thought as he watched Edward raise Bella's hand to his lips to kiss the inside of her wrist.

"Make sure she rests, son," Carlisle said, trying to sound supportive to both of them as he left the room.

A few minutes later the nurse came in with the oxygen and fitted the tubes around Bella's head. She grumbled some when they had to insert the nose piece, but she did begin breathing easier almost immediately. Soon she was so deeply asleep that she didn't even talk.

Edward watched her sleep protectively, constantly touching her face or stroking the back of her hand just to keep some physical contact with her. Fucking hell, he loved her so damn much! How could he have been so stupid all these years? So blind?

"I love you, Bella," he whispered just to hear himself say it.

Carlisle came back eventually with a turkey sandwich and a plate of fries for Edward. He'd been gone a lot longer than expected so he knew the conversation with Charlie and Rene hadn't gone well.

"They still won't leave the hospital," Carlisle told him.

"Good!" Edward snapped around a bite of sandwich. "She is their fucking daughter. They shouldn't want to leave the hospital right now. Although I'm actually surprised they care enough to stay."

"I'm not even going to address your language right now, young man," Carlisle said with a disapproving stare. "But why would you think Charlie and Rene don't care about Bella."

"Because they don't," Edward snapped again, his eyes shifting to her sleeping form in the bed beside him. "Not enough. Not enough to put her first."

Edward expected his dad to defend them again, but to his surprise Carlisle just nodded in concern. "I'm worried about her," he admitted.

Edward's eyes widened in fear. "Dad, what's wrong?" he asked quickly. "Is she sick? Is it her concussion? Tell me!"

"Calm down, son. I didn't mean to panic you."

"Well you did! What did you mean? Why are you worried?"

"Because there is something more than just physically wrong with her," Carlisle explained. "She isn't as all right as she pretends to be… is she?"

Edward didn't try to deny it. "She's been through a lot lately," he agreed. "She's _going_ through a lot still."

"And it's taking a toll on her."

"What do you mean by that, Dad?"

"Nothing," Carlisle shook his head and looked down.

"Not nothing," Edward pressed. "Taking its toll on her how? You mean physically? Medically?"

"Edward, you know I can't discuss a patient's condition with a non family member when the patient isn't…."

"Condition? What condition?" Edward stood suddenly and pulled his father with him as far away from the bed as possible. "Tell me what's going on, Dad. What's wrong with her?"

"Edward, I can't discuss…"

"Dad, please!" Edward begged softly, desperation in his eyes. "Please!"

Carlisle seemed to be considering it for just a moment, but then a weak sound came from across the room.

"Edward?" Bella called out faintly in a sleepy voice. "Edward?"

"Yeah, I'm here. I'm right here." Edward hurried back to the bedside and cupped Bella's cheek with his hand. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here," he told her.

Bella was only partially awake and her eyes fluttered as she leaned her face into his hand.

"Go back to sleep, sweetheart," Edward murmured as he caressed her jaw.

"M'kay," Bella's response came out as a sigh as she drifted off again.

Edward continued to hold his hand to her neck, letting her sense his closeness as he stood over her.

Carlisle had moved to the other side of the bed and he watched them a moment before he spoke. "This is serious. Isn't it?" he stated, and waited for Edward to look up before clarifying. "This thing between you two, it's serious."

Edward stared his father in the eye and nodded. "Very."

"Why the secrecy?"

"A lot of reasons," Edward shrugged. "None of which really seem important anymore."

"Charlie?"

"He was part of it. But mostly, I guess, it was just easier."

"Easier, for example, to have your mother and I agree to leave town for the weekend while Bella was staying at the house?"

"Dad!"

"Am I wrong?"

"Do we really have to have this conversation right now?"

"No, I guess not," Carlisle relented. "But there are a number of things that we will be talking about soon."

Edward nodded. "OK, but now are you going to tell me what is wrong with Bella?"

"She's worn down."

"And?'

"She hasn't been taking care of herself."

"What does that mean?"

Carlisle sighed. "Edward, she will be all right. I can't go into specifics with you, but she is going to be OK in the long run. I'm going to make sure of it."

"Dad…"

"Edward, just stay with her and make sure she rests. That's what she needs right now. Which reminds me," Carlisle said, changing the subject. "Do you have any idea why the police would want to question Bella?"

"Now? They want to talk to her now?" Edward asked in surprise. "Dad, tell them she's not up for that yet, please."

"I did tell them that," Carlisle said. "So, you _do_ know what they want to question her about."

"Yeah," Edward confessed quietly as he sat down in the chair beside Bella again.

Carlisle nodded. "And, you aren't going to tell me."

"You're going to find out eventually," Edward sighed. "I suppose almost everyone will. But let it be on her terms, OK?"

"Fair enough. So, can we make the same agreement in regard to any of her health information?" he asked in return

"Yeah, I guess." Edward mumbled as his dad turned to leave, hoping Bella wouldn't try to hide anything from him if she was ever truly ill.

When Carlisle returned later that afternoon, it was Bella's smile that greeted him, her hand lightly stroking Edward's bronze head where it lay pillowed in his arms on the mattress near her leg.

"Shh.." Bella held her finger to her lips and whispered. "Don't wake him. He'll never let himself fall back asleep if you do."

Carlisle smiled and shook his head at the two of them. "How are you feeling? Better?"

"A little," Bella nodded, briefly touching the tubing near her nose before returning her fingers to Edward's soft hair. She had opened her eyes not long before to find him hunched forward on the bed, still seated in the chair beside her. The sound of his deep breathing might have been what woke her up. Not in a disturbing way, but in the way that you fight sleep when you are listening to a comforting sound. "He's so tired," she spoke in concern to Carlisle while looking down at his son.

"Yes. You both need rest, but I know better than to suggest he go home." When Bella didn't respond he added, "Don't worry, he'll be all right."

"Hmm…" Bella mused. "You know… if I had a pen right now I could probably give him a nice ink mustache without him even waking up…"

"Excuse me?" Carlisle stuttered in surprise, gaping at her.

"What?" Bella looked backed innocently, an unrepentant grin spreading across her face. "I still love to torture him you know."

When Carlisle recovered he laughed with open amusement. "I guess some things will never change."

"I hope not," Bella agreed, but her mood turned somber. "Some things do, though."

"Are you all right?" he asked, sensing her sudden sadness.

"Can I ask a favor, Carlisle?"

"Of course you can. You can ask me anything."

"It's kind of big. And you don't have to answer right away."

Carlisle moved closer, his concern growing. "What is it Bella? I'd really like to help."

"Can I… Well, would it be OK if I… um… lived with you guys for awhile?"

Carlisle was stunned by her request. He wanted to reassure her, especially when he saw her nervously biting her lower lip, but he honestly didn't know what to say.

"I know it's a lot to ask," Bella rushed on. "I know you have to talk to Esme first, of course. And I know its a little weird now with me and Edward… you do know about that, right?"

"What? Oh, you and Edward. Yes," Carlisle managed to smile then. "Yes, I gathered already that there is something going on between you two."

Bella blushed and looked down to where she still stroked his head. "Right."

"Bella…"

"Just think about it, OK? Could you do that? Please?"

"Bella, you know you are always welcome at our house. You are like family. But, are you saying you really don't want to live at home any more?"

"I don't want to live with my parents," Bella corrected him. "That's what I'm saying. At least not right now."

"Can you tell me why?"

Bella bit her lip again. "That's a fair question. I really do owe you and Esme both some explanations. Even if you don't want me to live with you."

"Now, hold on a minute young lady," Carlisle said gently. "We could never _not_ want you to live with us. The only question would be whether that was a good idea. We want what is best for you."

"Thanks." Rather than feeling discouraged, Bella felt warmed by his comment. "Is Esme still at the hospital? I'd like to talk to you both at the same time."

"She's with your parents."

"Oh."

"Do you want me to get her for you?"

"Aren't you busy with other patients too?"

"Not really. I wasn't actually scheduled to be in today."

"Oh."

"Is something else wrong, Bella?" Carlisle asked, noticing her increased hesitation.

"You said my parents are still here?"

"Yes, does that surprise you?" he asked, remembering what Edward had said.

"I guess I expected them to go home by now. I'm sure my dad has work to do at the police station…" Bella looked up at that thought. "Carlisle, have the police asked to speak with me yet?"

"Actually, yes. But I didn't think you were up to it."

Bella studied his face a moment. "You don't know why, do you?"

Shaking his head he placed a protective hand on her arm and attempted to ease the tension with a smile. "My son informed me it was your business to share. Of course, he told me that after I informed him I couldn't disclose any of your medical information to him without your permission."

Bella finally smiled again. "I'm sure he argued with that."

"Of course he did. You are very important to him."

She blushed at his words _again_, but she still loved to hear them. Looking down at Edward's sleeping face she moved her fingers to his cheek. It was hard to believe he'd stayed asleep in spite of their low voices. He was in almost as bad a shape as she was, and it concerned her.

"OK," Bella said after taking a deep breath. "I think I'd like to get this over with. But, I have one more favor to ask."

"What's that?"

Still looking down at Edward, Bella rested her hand over the side of his face as if she were covering his ear before speaking to Carlisle. "Help me get him to go home for awhile."

"You want Edward to leave the hospital?"

"No. I really don't. And that's the problem," she explained. "He needs to get some rest but he's going to know I don't really want him to go. I need to convince him to do it anyway, just for a little while."

"I see."

"So I need you to call in re-enforcements."

"And that would be?"

"Alice, of course."

"I should have known."

"If she can come and stay with me for a few hours, Edward might go home and rest."

"And that's OK with you?"

Bella hesitated and shrugged. "I'll be OK. As long as he back before it's dark. I mean, he can stay here during the night, right? Please?"

"It's not really common practice," Carlisle sensed Bella's panic begin to rise. "But, we can probably have an exception made."

Bella let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, realizing the thought of being alone in the dark was too much for her right now. A shiver went through her body as her mind flashed back to the cold and wet of the dark forest the night before. Had it really just been a few hours ago?

"I can call Alice, if you'd like," Carlisle went on. "Is that what you meant about getting it over with? Sending Edward home to rest?"

"No, that's not it." Bella fought a yawn as she tried to look determined. "I want to get all of these explanations out of the way. To you and Esme. To the police. To my parents too, I guess. I just want to get it all over with for everyone."

"Do you really think you are ready? As your doctor, I think you should rest until tomorrow and then you can think about all of that."

Bella shook her head. "But, I can't rest. No one can. Not really. Not with so much to worry about. I just want to get this over with. I want it all behind us."

The strain in Bella's voice and the tension in her body seemed to reach Edward even in his deep sleep. His eyes blinked opened reluctantly as consciousness returned. Slowly, he eased his head up to look at Bella.

"Oops, I guess I missed my chance at giving you a mustache," she jokes as she reached out to trace the bridge of his nose.

"Who's growing a mustache?" he asked in a sleepy voice.

"No one, I hope. At least not you. OK?"

Edward wiped his hand across his face and stretched his back. "Baby, what are you talking about?"

"Don't worry about it. But, you are getting a little scruffy," she said, rubbing her palm against the slight growth on his face.

"She's right," Carlisle said, making Edward aware of his presence. "You could use a shave, son. And I shower too, I imagine. Am I right?"

Edward shook his head. "I'm fine for now. Sorry I fell asleep. How is she doing?"

Bella rolled her eyes, "_She_ is doing fine. Thanks for asking _her."_

"_She_ isn't a doctor," Edward retorted before looking back at her dad. "So, Dr. Cullen, how is _she_ doing?"

"Well, as I told you before, I can't share medical information with just anyone…"

"It's OK, Carlisle," Bella interrupted, knowing his teasing wouldn't help Edward's stress in this matter. "You can put him out of his misery. I don't mind if you share information with Edward. It saves me the trouble of telling him myself."

Edward went from glaring at his dad to smiling widely with what appeared to be relief. It seemed a bit extreme and Bella instantly became suspicious.

"What's with the mood swing?" she asked. "What are you so anxious to know?"

Edward looked to his father in answer to her question and Carlisle reluctantly reached for Bella's chart.

"I do have some concerns, Bella," he said, holding both of their attention now.

"What sort of concerns?" she asked, unconsciously reaching for Edward's hand.

"Well, there is some deterioration to your overall health that worries me. Your iron levels are drastically low, for one thing, and you are also deficient in potassium."

"So, can't you just put her on vitamins or something?" Edward asked.

"It's more than that. Bella, your body mass has fallen below what it should be for an active young woman your age."

"Are you seriously telling me that I'm too skinny?" she tried to joke. "Because Jessica is going to be so jealous."

"No," Carlisle continued in a firm tone. "It's not a matter of being too skinny. It is a matter of losing bone and muscle density. It's the clear fact that your body is not getting the protein and nutrients that it needs. In addition, your white blood cell count shows a very low immune system that is commonly found in people with sleep depravation or extreme levels of stress."

Bella could feel Edward squeezing her hand harder as he tensed beside her and she was suddenly very uncomfortable with the conversation. "OK, I get it. I need to eat better and get more sleep. Is that all because that's not so bad?"

"Bella, it could be bad," Carlisle insisted, putting the chart down again. "I want you to take this seriously."

"Yeah, I get it," she protested.

"I don't think you do. This condition is putting a strain on your heart that can cause permanent damage. It cannot continue."

"Don't worry, I can take better care of myself."

"Really?" Edward suddenly broke in. "Because I don't think you can."

"What is that supposed to me?" Bella demanded.

"You _don't_ take care of yourself, Bella. Not at all! But you don't even see that so how are you going to change it?"

"I take care of myself!"

"See? That is exactly what I mean! He's telling you that you could end up damaging your heart and you act like what you are doing is fine." Edward's voice started to rise. "You don't get it at all!"

Bella glared at him and snatched her hand away. "Well, then enlighten me."

"You don't eat!" Edward started, counting off each point on his fingers. "You don't sleep! You are so stressed out that…"

"I eat," Bella rolled her eyes.

"You don't!" Edward yelled this time. "You never eat!"

"Just because you are always trying to shove food at me when I'm upset doesn't mean I don't eat. No one likes to eat when they are upset!"

"Then you must be upset all the time because I can't remember the last time you really ate."

"Both of you need to lower your voices," Carlisle finally stepped in, more than a little surprised at their heated argument. "We are all concerned about the same thing, so let's approach this logically. Bella, about how much would you say you eat in a day."

"This is ridiculous. I don't know, but I do eat. You've seen me eat."

Carlisle thought for a moment. "Actually, no. I don't remember seeing you eat much in a very long time."

"What about dinner the other night?" Bella protested.

"You ate a few bites of your salad and then took the call from your dad," Edward corrected her. "Remember?"

"Did you eat anything else that day, Bella?" Carlisle encouraged gently. "You ate desert later that night. Didn't Edward bring it up to you?"

Bella looked sideways at Edward as if he were to blame for her getting caught. "No," she admitted. "I made Edward eat my piece and tell Esme I ate it so her feelings wouldn't be hurt. But that was because my dad had upset me on the phone."

"I see." Carlisle nodded. "Well, when was the next time you ate a meal after missing that one?"

Bella shrugged.

"How about yesterday?" Carlisle encouraged again. "What did you have for breakfast?"

Bella shrugged again and kept her head low. "My mom made pancakes, but I left before eating any. We had a big fight. Yesterday I was just too upset to eat."

"Do you see a pattern here?" Edward asked both of them, but kept his eyes on Bella as he gently tipped her chin up with is index finger. "I don't think you ate more than four or five potato chips all day yesterday. The day before, you left the lake before you ate anything and I heard you tell your mom you weren't hungry for dinner when they got home."

"I don't mean not to eat," Bella said softly, finally meeting Edward's gaze. "I just don't always feel like it."

"Bella?" Carlisle thought out loud. "Do you ever feel nauseated when you eat or sick to your stomach soon after?"

"Sometimes I do. Why?"

"You might have elevated levels of stomach acid which would be consistent with other things I've seen." When both of them looked confused, he added. "It would be an indication of a pre-ulcer condition brought on, among other things, by higher than usual levels of stress. It would also contribute to your lack of appetite and nausea when you eat."

Edward gave Bella a knowing look and she didn't try to deny it. "Things have been pretty tense at home for awhile. I guess you could say they've been stressful… Very stressful."

Carlisle nodded. "What about sleep?"

"She has nightmares sometimes," Edward informed him.

"Please, son, don't go on," Carlisle held up both hands. "I'm trying to be professional here but, as your father, I really don't want to know how you know that."

His comment lightened the mood a little and they all three smiled.

"I sleep better at your house," Bella told him almost shyly.

"Is that one of the reasons you want to move in with us for awhile?"

"You asked him about that?" Edward looked at Bella. "Sweetheart, I told you I would talk to my parents for you."

"I know," Bella said, touching his face. "But that was before I got lost. You've been through a lot too and I didn't want to put more on you."

"Baby, you have _got_ to stop worrying so much about everyone else."

"You wanted to ask about staying with us before?" Carlisle interrupted in surprise. "Has it been bad at home for awhile, then?"

Bella's face fell. "Things are just really tense there," she finally admitted.

"It's OK. I won't press for more than that," he assured her. "But, I'm afraid what Edward is saying sounds right, Bella. It doesn't sound like you have been taking very good care of _yourself_. And, if you will forgive me for saying this, you seem to have an abundance of anxiety and worries plaguing you. I'm concerned about that."

"I'm OK," she replied automatically.

"No, young lady, you are not," Carlisle said softly with deep compassion in his voice. "And we want to fix that. OK?"

When Bella didn't look up or reply, Edward moved to sit by her on the bed. Slipping in between her back and the pillows, he wrapped his arms around her waist under her injured arm and pulled her gently to his chest. Bella gave into his embrace and clutched at his arm that held her, her head leaning back against his shoulder.

"Everything is going to be OK," Edward murmured to her. "I told you that we'd figure this out and you are not going home until you want to. I don't care what anyone says."

He looked up at his father and Carlisle nodded. "Let's put these discussions off until tomorrow. I know you don't want to drag this out for everyone, but you really do need to start making your health a priority."

"OK. I am really tired, and my head is killing me," Bella reluctantly admitted, turning her neck to burrow deeper into Edward's shoulder.

"Try to rest," Carlisle said softly, watching her eyes start to close. "Rest and lots of TLC, that's what you need."

"Thanks," she whispered as he turned out the light and left.

"You heard the doctor. You need rest and TLC." Edward said, kissing her forehead.

Bella groaned. "You are going to be an even bigger pain in the ass now, aren't you?"

"Absolutely," Edward agreed. "I plan to harass the shit out of you until you start to take care of yourself."

"Even if it pisses me off?"

Edward laughed, "When have I ever cared about that?"

"Damn it. There is going to be no living with you."

"Really?" Edward nuzzled her neck. "Because I thought you liked the idea of living with me?"

"I like the idea of living at your house," Bella corrected, trying to pretend the way he was nibbling at her skin wasn't affecting her. "Who said it had anything to do with you?"

"Just a hunch I had," he breathed into her ear as his hand started to move up on her chest.

"Edward!" Bella smacked his hand away as he started to stroke the underside of her breast. "What if someone came in?"

"No one is going to come in, baby," he assured her in a deep voice that made her toes want to curl. "You're supposed to be resting, remember?"

"And this is your idea of me resting?" she asked a little breathless as Edward stroked her breast again.

"The resting is your job. I'm in charge of the TLC." He sucked her earlobe into his mouth and Bella moaned. "And I take my job very seriously."

"Well… are you sure you are up… to the … task?" Bella tried to play along, but Edward's thumb was rubbing her nipple through the cotton hospital gown and she was finding it hard to focus on anything else. "I mean, what… sort of experience do… you have?"

"I think I can provide at least one reference who will vouch for my abilities."

"Hmmm…" Bella sighed as Edward moved his hand to her other breast and started to kiss along her shoulder. "Anyone I know?"

"Lauren?" Edward teased.

"You're such an asshole," Bella slapped his arm and laughed softly. "And you know you are going to pain for that later, don't you?"

"I'm counting on it," he smiled along with her. "But you know it's just bull shit."

"Oh really? So you don't have any other _references_?"

"You and only you," he said softly as he kissed her ear. "And always you."

"Sometimes I really love it when you are corny like that."

"That's probably good, because you bring it out in me."

"Oh sure, put the blame on me. Why do I bring it out in you?"

"Because I love you so damn much," Edward spoke softly with his lips against her cheek.

Fuck! Now she was melting again. Totally putty in his hands… his perfectly marvelous hands that were currently finding their way inside her hospital gown.

Bella moaned.

"Hmmm? Did you have something to say?" Edward teased as he stroked her smooth leg under the sheet.

"Just that I love you too," she sighed and she purposely trapped his hand between her bare thighs as she rubbed them together.

"Holy shit, baby," he whined as he became hard. She was totally turning the tables on him again. Well, if she wanted to play it that way…

Edward started to wiggle his hand higher between her legs, stretching up with his thumb so he could reach her… Son of bitch!... No panties? Fuck! Where the hell were her panties?

Edward and Bella both gasped loudly when the pad of his thumb found the soft curls between her legs. She'd been brought into the emergency room unconscious, of course they would have take all of her clothes. He shouldn't have been surprised, but he was.

"Fuck," he breathed as he let his thumb make tiny circles against her.

Bella gasped again and then moaned. "Edward…" Her hips unconsciously rocked to meet his caress and he pressed against her more firmly. "Oh, shit… we can't do this in here…" she protested weekly even as her legs fell open further. "We can't do this in a hospital room."

"Why the hell not? I was ordered to give you TLC" Edward felt her curls dampening and moved his thumb in deeper until he was barely touching her clit. "And that means lots of tender… loving… care…" he accompanied each word with a gentle push against her clit until she was practically writhing under his touch.

Bella dropped her head against his shoulder and arched her back as Edward stroked her. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! How did he make her body feel this way? Her breathing became hard and shallow. She could hear herself whimpering but it was like the sound was coming from someone else. After several moments of this bliss, Edward's thumb suddenly began to move very fast and his other hand came up to rub her nipple in the same rhythm.

Seriously, what the fuck! Bella bit her lip to keep from crying out. Could a person die from feeling this good? If so, she was about to.

"Edward?" Bella panted, her eyes squeezing shut and her back arching more. "Edward?"

"I've got you, baby," he whispered as he continued to stroke her. "You're so fucking beautiful. Just let go."

She did as he said and waves pleasure rolled through her.

Edward watched as her body came down from its high. Her back relaxed against him again and her head slumped against his neck with her mouth still parted as she caught her breath. Fuck, she was just sexy as hell! He wrapped his arms around her tightly and placed kisses in her hair until she had recovered.

"I cannot believe we just did that in here," she said softly sounding anything but remorseful.

"I told you I take my job very seriously."

"Hmmm…Well, I feel very cared for." Bella titled her head back to look at him and brushed her lips against his. "Tender… lovingly… cared for…."

Edward settled his mouth on hers and kissed her hard. She accepted his kiss eagerly and twisted her body closer so she could grab the back of his head. Their mouths opened at the same time but Edward's tongue pushed in first to rub against hers. Bella quickly trapped it, though, by sucking in deeply and massaging his tongue between hers and the roof of her mouth.

Even their kisses were competitive and, damn'it, that was just hot!

Bella released his tongue and allowed him to pull hers into his mouth for the same treatment. Shit! No wonder he always moaned when she did that to him. Edward rolled her over onto her back then so he could press against her without trapping her injured arm between them. She grabbed a handful of his bronze hair to keep him from pulling away as their kiss continued to heat up.

"Un - be - liev - able!" A shrill voice came through the dim light in the direction of the door. "Aren't you are supposed to be resting!"

Edward and Bella pulled apart quickly and turned to see Alice in the doorway, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently…

* * *

_**I was not able to update for awhile and I sincerely hope that you haven't lost interest because I am very excited to continue this story now. Thank you to everyone who continued to ask me to update. It meant a lot to know you still wanted to read more. Thank you!**_

_**~Alexanya**_


	23. Questions & Answers

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Enemy Mine

_Chapter 23: "Questions & Answers"_

"_Un - be - liev - able!" A shrill voice came through the dim light in the direction of the door. "Aren't you are supposed to be resting!"_

_Edward and Bella pulled apart quickly and turned to see Alice in the doorway, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently._

"I mean, Emmett joked that you two couldn't keep your hands off each other but, for shit's sake!" Alice continued, "In the hospital?"

Edward rolled away from Bella and sat up with a scowl on his face. "What are you doing here? I thought you went home."

"I did. And now I'm back." Alice informed him cheerfully. "So, you! Out!"

"What?"

"It's girl-time, Edward."

"Not right now," he said, attempting to be patient. "Bella needs to rest."

Alice laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I think I just saw how much rest she was getting."

"Alice…"

"Sorry, brother-dear. Your time is up." Alice marched to the other side of the bed with a determined smile. "Bella is still my BFF and it's my turn with her so you are just going to have to go home and wait for your next turn."

"I'm not fucking taking turns with my girlfriend, Alice," Edward growled in annoyance.

Bella tried not to reveal her amusement but she was grateful to Alice for taking this approach. A chance for the two of them to make amends really would make her feel better and she knew Edward would never leave the hospital if it was only for the sake of resting himself.

Shit - to think he nagged _her_ about not taking care of her health.

"What do you mean you aren't taking turns?" Alice demanded in exaggerated horror as she swept her designer jacket off and draped it over the back of the chair. "That's not very nice of you, Edward. Don't you want Bella to have girl-time with her BFF anymore?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "I know what you are doing, Alice. I'm your brother, remember? I've seen you play mom and dad like this a thousand times."

"So? That's not an answer." Alice sat in the chair and crossed her legs, making it clear she was there to stay awhile. "Do you want Bella to still spend girl-time with just me?"

"Damn it, Al! Of course I do…"

"Good!" she beamed triumphantly. "Now, get out."

This time when Edward growled Bella's eyes clearly sparkled in amusement. Reaching up to run her fingers through his soft hair, she gave him a warm smile. "Maybe a little girl-time is a good idea. Just for a bit."

"Are you sure?" Edward was surprised by her willingness, but not opposed if it was what she really wanted. "I can just go out in the hall for a few minutes."

Bella bit her lip. The idea of Edward staying close was so appealing that she almost caved. But he needed a break and this was the best opportunity he would have for one. Thankfully, Alice sensed her struggle and stepped in.

"A few minutes? I want more time than that, Edward." she whined. "Why doesn't he go home and wash that stink off, Bella? Maybe sleep some of the grumpiness away too. Then we can really have time to chat."

"Hey!" Edward protested. "I'm not that bad."

Bella was so grateful to her best friend she could have hugged her. "No, you aren't," she assured Edward instead. "But she does have a point. You could probably use some rest away from the hospital."

"I'm fine," he tried to assure her.

"Now you sound like me," she teased. "And I don't want your health risked because you are concerned about mine. OK?"

Edward glanced at Alice cautiously before leaning in closer to Bella. "Are you sure, baby?" he asked softly. "I can stay. Really. I can find a place to nap in the lobby or something."

"I'm sure," Bella nodded quickly before she lost her nerve, reaching up to caress the stubble on his jaw with the tips of her fingers. "I'll be OK for a little while. Just… Can you just be back before dark? Please?"

Edward tensed. "I don't have to go. I'll just stay…"

"No," Bella pulled his face down to hers. "No, Edward, I want you to go home and get some rest. I'll feel better if you do, OK? Please."

Edward reluctantly nodded. "All right, if you're sure."

"I'm sure."

"Alice," Edward sat up slightly to look at his sister again. "Promise to call me if anything happens. And promise that you'll let her get _some _rest."

"Please," Alice swung her foot while a grin like the Cheshire cat spread across her face. "She'll get more rest with me than with you, I'm guessing."

"Brat," Edward smiled at her before turning back to Bella. "I'll see you soon."

Bella nodded and pulled his head down again. "Love you," she said just before her lips brushed his.

"Love you," he echoed with a quick kiss of his own. "I'll be back before dark, I promise."

They kept their eyes on each other as Edward stood up and made his way across the room. Bella gave him a reassuring nod as he paused at the door before finally closing it behind him. When he was gone, Bella sighed deeply and turned to focus on her best friend. Alice's face was scrunched up like she was biting his lips and her cheeks to keep from exploding, and her eyes were wide enough to swallow saucers.

"Al?" Bella asked in confusion.

"Oh!.. Oh!.. Oh!.. Oooohhhhh!" Alice gasped and then the dam broke in an array of ear-piercing squeals.

"Alice! Shit! You're going to have every dog in Forks howling if you keep that up."

"I can't believe it!" Alice reduced her squeal to a squeak. "I had no idea you two were at the 'I love you' stage already!"

Bella blushed as a guilty grin spread across her face. "Oh, that," she said as she ducked her head. "Yeah, well, we are. I mean, we do…you know?"

"You do?" Alice squeaked again, her fisted hands pressing against her mouth in excitement. "You really love my brother? I mean… you guys are like, actually _in love_?"

"Yeah, we are," Bella nodded unable to keep the grin off her face. "And it's real, Al. We are really, truly in love. So… is that OK with you?"

"OK with me?" Alice repeated in confusion before starting to giggle. "Would it matter if it wasn't?"

Bella knew by Alice smile she wasn't upset, but she still told her the truth. "It wouldn't make me love him less, or stop being with him. But it will make me happy to know you are happy for us."

"You are too good a friend to me Bella," Alice sighed with the smile still on her face. "You should just say, 'Fuck you Alice, I don't give a shit what you like it's none of your damn business anyway!' That's what you should say to me. It's what I deserve."

Bella chuckled. "I think I did say something similar to that the other day."

"That's right you did!" Alice said brightly. "Good for you because I was being a total bitch!"

"Well, I'm not going to argue with you there, Al," Bella confessed while smiling at her friend.

"But, still, you are too good to me. You shouldn't even be talking with me like this now when I haven't given you a real apology yet."

"Alice, it's really OK…."

"That hell it is! Bella, I have spent literally hours going over this apology in my head and, even though I know I still don't have it right, I've got to at least try to tell you…. Bella, I'm so unbelievably sorry!" Alice said in a rush. "I'm sorry about so many things. Like, I'm going to have to make a list of all the things from just the last few weeks that I'm so sorry for. But, mostly, I am just so sorry that I completely suck as a best friend. I wish I could go back in time and be there for you the hundreds of times that I wasn't."

The smile had fallen from Alice's face now and her eyes filled with tears.

Bella reached over and grabbed her hand, "Al, don't…"

"Please, Bella. I'm not trying to upset you and I'll stop if you don't want to hear this, but…Oh, shit, Bella. If I had just been a better friend none of this would have happened."

"What are you talking about?"

"If I had gone to the barbeque like you asked… like you _begged_… then Jacob would never have had the chance to hurt you."

Bella stiffened at the mention of Jacob's name but forced herself to take a calming breath so she could respond. "Alice, there is no way you could have known what was going to happen. That blame is completely on Jacob, not you."

"You were uncomfortable, Bella. You asked me to be there with you because something made you nervous. And I didn't listen! _That_ is on me and I know it." Alice insisted. "If the situation had been reversed, you would have been there for me. We both know it because you always are. So, please, Bella… please believe how sorry I am. I am so sorry I didn't go with you when you asked me to."

"I forgive you, Al," Bella said softly, squeezing her hand again.

"Thank you," Alice said in genuine relief. "And I'm sorry I was so wrapped up in myself that I didn't see that something was wrong after that night. Fuck! How could I have been so self-absorbed? I guess… I guess that is kind of my pattern, isn't it?"

Bella bit her lip. "Well, maybe a little. Yeah."

Alice nodded. "Not anymore," she said with determination.

"Alice, I don't want you to change your whole personality. I kind of like you the way you are. It's part of your charm."

Alice finally smiled again at that. "Thanks, Bella. But people can make good changes and still be themselves. I mean, just for example, someone might actually fall in love with the person they used to hate…" she teased.

"I never hated him," Bella smirked at her.

"Could have fooled me. And everyone else in Forks." Alice laughed. "Apparently you both fooled all of us!"

"It was never hate," Bella tried to explain. "I mean, it _was _a lot of irritation and aggravation. And a whole lot of just infuriating each other."

"Passion," Alice concluded. "That's what Rosalie called it when she first saw you two together. Passion."

"Yeah, I guess that's one way to put it," Bella laughed. "But, you're right that things haven't completely changed. We're still the same two people."

"I'm glad. And I'm glad you guys have put all that _passion_ to better use."

"You are?"

"Yes," Alice told her, leaning forward to clasp Bella's hand in both of hers. "I know I acted just awful when I first found out about you and Edward. All I could think was that I'd been lied to and I didn't even give the idea of you two a chance. But, after I saw you together… really saw you guys together…" Alice sighed and shook her head. "You are two of my favorite people in the world and I've never seen either of you look more perfect than when you are looking at each other. I just don't know how I missed it all this time."

Bella smiled and felt herself choking up. "I really love him, Alice," she confessed softly. "And he really does love me."

"Well, duh!" Alice rolled her eyes. "Anyone with a brain can see that! You've got my brother completely at your mercy. And, as far as I'm concerned, that is exactly how it should be."

They both laugh and Alice propelled herself from the chair to throw her arms around Bella's neck.

"Thank you for taking me back!" she sang in her ear. "And thank you so much for not dying last night because I truly don't think I could live without you, Bella."

"I love you, Al," Bella laughed. "And you can thank your brothers because I owe my life to both of them. Especially Edward."

"Oh, I think you'll thank Edward enough for the both of us," Alice leaned back and raised her eye-brows knowing. "From the look of things when I walked in, you already started."

"Alice!"

"Just be glad it was me that walked in and not my dad."

"Oh, he already saw Edward kiss me once today."

"Awkward much!"

"You've no idea!"

After a few more minutes of catching up, Alice showed Bella the bag she had brought full of comforts from home. This included a soft peach pajama set and a few pair of panties, her usual shampoo and other toiletries, and even the iPod she had left in Alice's room. It didn't take any encouragement at all for Bella to agree to a quick shower in the small bath within her hospital room; especially when she found out it would mean being detached from the awful IV and oxygen. By the time she was settled back into her bed again she felt refreshed and very sleepy. She tried to listen as Alice talked about her conversation with Charlie at the station the day before, making non-committal sighs of agreement about how stubborn her father could be, but her eyes were simply too heavy for her to keep from closing.

When Bella eventually opened her eyes again the room was silent and almost completely dark.

"Edward!" she gasped in panic, trying to raise herself up.

"Shh… don't. You'll hurt your shoulder." His familiar voice whispered soothingly in her ear as she felt strong arms tightening around her.

"Edward?"

"I'm right here," he whispered again, gently drawing Bella back down and cuddling her against his chest. "It's OK, I'm here."

Her body softened against his as her mind finally registered Edward's warm presence in the bed beside her. She hummed in contentment and turned her face to nuzzle his chest. "When did you get back?"

"A couple of hours ago. You've been asleep for quite awhile."

"Really? I feel like I just closed my eyes. I didn't expect it to be dark," she said, her voice still breathy from sleep. "Where did Alice go?"

"Home," Edward told her. "You'll see her tomorrow. She seemed happier when she left."

Bella nodded, rubbing her cheek against his chest again. "She said she's happy for us."

"That's nice…." Edward whispered quietly while one of his hands moved to rub her back. "Go back to sleep now, baby. I'm gonna be here all night."

Bella sighed and turned her face into his shirt. "You smell nice," she smiled against the cotton material. "You took a shower."

"So did you," Edward chuckled. "I like the PJ's."

"Thanks."

"Although I did appreciate the easy access of the hospital gown."

"Shut up."

Edward chuckled again as he kissed the top of her head and Bella loved feeling the vibrations of his laughter against her.

After a few moments of contented quiet Bella spoke again. "Did your mom and dad finally go home to rest too?"

"Alice took mom home, but dad is still here. He said he's used to catching short naps around the hospital while on call but, honestly, I think he just wanted to be here in case we needed him."

"He didn't have to do that," Bella said gratefully. "I mean, my mom and dad are here for emergencies if nothing else. Even if I don't want to see them."

Edward tensed and Bella felt it immediately.

"What is it?" she asked, placing her hand on his arm.

"Your parents…" he began hesitantly. "Your parents actually did go home."

"Oh…" Bella replied softly and Edward could literally feel her heart sinking.

"Not very long ago," he went on, trying to sound encouraging. "They knew you were sleeping when they left."

"Right… " she said in a controlled voice. "Sure, I understand. I mean… that makes sense. Why should they stick around here when I told them I didn't want to see them?"

"Damn it," Edward cursed under his breath as her pulled her closer.

"Its fine, Edward. Really," Bella told him unconvincingly. "I'm fine. I mean, what did I expect them to do?"

There were a million ways Edward would have liked to answer that question. How about expecting them to stay? How about expecting them to be there if she needed them? How about expecting them to _want_ to be near her too badly to fucking leave?

But he couldn't bring himself to voice any of those thoughts aloud. Not when it would only cause her more pain.

"I'm sure they'll be back in the morning, sweetheart," he told her instead. "And you can go right back to ignoring them the way you should."

Bella smiled but shook her head. "We'll see. It doesn't really matter."

Edward tipped her chin up and looked down at her so their noses almost touched. "You matter," he said simply, his breath floating across her lips.

"Thank you," she whispered slowly in return and raised her hand to his face so she could guide his mouth to hers.

Their kiss was gentle and unrushed but full of passion. Their tongues moved slowly together over and over again while they shared tender caresses. Bella's hand moved under his T-shirt to explore every inch of his abs and chest. Edward's fingers gently massaged along her hip until he was gripping her ass to pull her closer. When Bella raised her knee to help him pull her across his lap they both suddenly realized it was time to stop.

"I think I got a little carried away," Edward confessed, easing her away from him just bit.

"Are you admitting to having trouble with your self control, Mr. Cullen?" she teased.

"Hey, I wasn't the one trying to pull herself on top of me."

Bella giggled and Edward was relieved to see her smiling again.

It didn't take long for Bella to fall asleep again once she settled back down on her side with Edward's arms around her. He had a much harder time letting himself relax, but he had promised his father that he _would_ be able to rest if he could just stay the night with Bella so he tried. Sometime after midnight the exhaustion finally took over and he drifted off with is cheek pillowed in Bella's hair.

They awoke the next morning to find Carlisle standing at the foot of the bed with Bella's chart in his hands. The knowing grin on his face was the only indication that he even noticed how closely they had clung to each other during the night.

"Morning dad," Edward managed to make his voice sound normal as he carefully untangled himself from Bella. "How can you look so well rested after staying here all night?"

"Years of practice," Carlisle replied with a smile. "And how are you both feeling?"

As Edward stood up to stretch, Bella rolled over to her back and gave Carlisle a wide grin. "Hungry," she replied.

"Now that is what I like to hear, young lady," Carlisle grinned back.

"Hey, I'm hungry too!" Edward echoed. "I'm starving, in fact."

"Yes, but that's hardly news, son."

Bella laughed at his comment. "Does that mean its breakfast time? Do they make waffles here? Am I allowed to have waffles?"

"You can have anything you'd like, Bella," Carlisle beamed. "Even if I have to cook it myself. I'm just delighted to see you have an appetite at all."

"She hasn't actually _eaten_ anything yet," Edward pointed out hesitantly.

"I will! Give me break. In fact, I'll eat just as much as you"

"There is no way. You couldn't."

"Watch me!" she challenged him playfully.

Twenty minutes later, Carlisle carried in a tray filled with eggs, hash browns, and two thick Belgium Waffles covered with strawberry sauce and whipped cream. Bella sat up straighter in bed with an eager smile and pulled the rolling table across her lap.

"So, where is Bella's serving?" Edward joked as he pulled up the chair beside the bed.

"Nice try," she laughed. "But _I_ get to eat as much as I want and _you_ have to take the left-overs. Right Carlisle?"

Carlisle only nodded with a small smile and placed the plates in front of her.

"What's wrong dad? Did something happen?"

"Is it Charlie? Are they back?" Bella asked in a mixture of concern and hope that was painful to hear.

"No, your parents haven't returned to the hospital," Carlisle told her gently. "It's nothing you need to worry about right now. You should eat your breakfast while it's hot."

"But it is something I should worry about _later_?" Bella asked, leaning back away from the food.

Carlisle sighed, realizing that Bella wasn't going to let him hold off on this. "The police officers are still waiting to speak with you… And they are becoming more persistent." He told her. "I want them to wait to give you more time to rest. It's been barely over 24 hours since you were admitted. I don't know why they insist they must speak to you today…"

"48 hours," Edward said under his breath.

"What was that son?"

"They can only hold a person 48 hours before formally charging him."

Bella gasped, catching on to what Edward was thinking. If Jacob was taken in before she was even found, then the police were probably nearing their time limit. "He's in custody!" she asked anxiously.

"Probably for now."

"Who?" Carlisle's eyes went wide. "What are you two talking about?"

"What do you mean for now?" Bella's voice grew in alarm. "They might let him go?"

Edward reached for her hand to calm her. "They will have a stronger case for keeping him if they have your statement, I imagine. But there is still time…"

"No!" Bella shook her head. "No, I don't want to waste time. I don't want to take the chance. I'll talk to them now."

"Baby, just take a deep breath. We aren't running out the clock here. We still have time. Right?" He looked up at his dad for agreement.

Carlisle stood staring at him like a stunned statue for several seconds before finally clearing his throat and nodding. "Bella, there is no rush. The police officers aren't even here right now. They've just been phoning from the station."

Edward smiled at his dad's comment. "There, you see? No rush. Let's eat our breakfast first and then we'll decide what to do. OK?"

Bella looked at Edward with trepidation before shaking her head slowly and lowering her gaze.

"Bella…" he said in a warning tone.

She shook her head again and continued to avoid his eyes. "Edward, please…. I'm just not hungry anymore."

"Baby, you _have_ to eat."

"I will… later. I just can't right now. OK?"

"No. Not OK." Edward stood up and paced in frustration. "This is exactly what I've been talking about, Bella."

"I'm not just being stubborn here," she replied, trying to keep the edge out of her voice. "I just can't now. My stomach is all in knots and if I try to eat I'll be _sick_."

"If you don't eat now, you'll just keep getting _sicker_."

"Damn it, Edward, don't you think I know that?"

"I'm honestly not sure."

"I'm not anorexic or bulimic!" she snapped. "I'm not doing this on purpose!"

"I didn't say you were!" Edward argued. "But that doesn't change what you are doing to your health, Bella. You have got to eat!"

"Please, Edward," she pleaded, taking a deep breath and holding back the tears. "I know you are just worried because you love me, but I really can't handle fighting with you right now. Please."

Edward saw the moisture in her eyes and felt like shit for upsetting her, but he still couldn't get himself to calm down. He ran his hand through his already messy hair and clamped his mouth shut so he wouldn't give into the temptation to lecture her again.

"Bella," Carlisle said gently, "I'm not saying this in any way to push you, but you do realize that if you continue not eating we will have to put the IV in again?"

"I know," her sigh sounded like a deflating balloon and she carefully pushed the rolling table away from the bed. "I will try... later. I promise."

Edward watched her lean back into the pillows again, still refusing to give into the tears as she asked his father if she could stay in her room while the police questioned her. Fuck! Why did she have to keep being strong? Why couldn't she just get a damn break so she could fall apart of awhile?

"I'm not ready to discharge you yet, young lady," Carlisle insisted. "So the officers are just going to have to talk to you here. OK?"

"I'm staying with her," Edward declared suddenly, leaving no room for argument. He looked toward Bella to see if this was what she wanted and he could read the pleading in her eyes. "I'm not leaving," he said again to reassure her.

Bella nodded; relieved that Edward understood she wasn't ready to do this alone.

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this," Carlisle admitted uneasily. When he saw two frantic sets of eyes snap in his direction he quickly clarified his statement. "No, no, not Edward's staying with you, Bella. I meant I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you being questioned at all right now. Not when I can see the amount of stress it is going to cause you."

"I have to talk to them, Carlisle."

"I know I don't understand everything that is going on," he said in concern. "But I do know that your health must be a priority, Bella."

"She needs to do this, dad," Edward insisted, backing her up. "It sucks and I hate it! But she needs to do this." Son of a bitch, he fucking hated Jacob Black more in that moment that he would have thought possible. She needed to rest, damn it! But she also needed to know that Jacob wasn't getting away with anything and that he couldn't hurt her anymore. "Maybe she _should_ just get it over with. And then we can work on getting her out of here and taking her home with us."

"One things at a time, son. Let's deal with this police matter first and then we'll figure out the rest. I'll go call the station now and have the officers come right over."

"Carlisle, do you think you could call Esme too? I'd like you both to be there." When he gave her a started look, Bella explained. "You both deserve to hear the whole story since it… it… it kind of involves your family. And, I want you to understand everything because… well… I really hope you will let me stay with you."

"Are you sure you about this, sweetheart?" Edward asked, walking closer so he could cup her cheek with his hand. "It's going to be hard enough without so many people."

Bella nodded. "I don't think I could go through it all more than once. And they should hear it from me."

Carlisle agreed and went to make the calls. He spoke with Esme first, thinking it would take her longer to get ready and come to the hospital. To his surprise she walked into her husband's office less than 30 minutes after he'd hung up the phone.

"Why do the police want to question Bella?" she asked immediately even as she leaned over to kiss him hello. "Does Charlie know about this?"

"I'm sure he does, dear," he replied. "But, like I told you on the phone, I don't know what this is about and I haven't pushed Bella or Edward for the details."

"I'm sure Edward knows what's going on," she continued. "Considering how they feel about each other I'm sure she would have confided in him. But, why wouldn't Charlie or Rene have mentioned it in all those hours we sat…"

"Wait a minute," Carlisle uncharacteristically interrupted his wife. "You _knew_ there was something going on between Edward and Bella? _You_ knew?"

"Oh, darling, don't be ridiculous," Esme smiled fondly. "Of course I didn't know there was something serious at this time; not until yesterday. But I can't say I am surprised."

"How can you not be surprised? All I ever saw was the two of them fighting like they were each other's worst enemies."

"Yes, exactly," she agreed. "There has always been something more between them; some spark. You've seen it."

Carlisle shrugged. "Yes, I suppose…. If that's what you call it."

"I just don't' understand why they bothered to keep it a secret."

"Apparently there is more than one secret that's been kept. I told you Bella wants to stay with us. Did you have any idea that she was having problems at home?"

Esme shook her head in concern. "I don't understand that either. She's always been so protective of her family."

"Maybe we're about to find out," he said, putting an arm around his wife to lead her to the door. "Come on. Let's go check in on the two love birds. I know Bella has been anxious to see you and the police offices should be in from the station by now."

Bella greeted Esme with a warm hug when she came into her room, feeling like it had been ages since she'd seen her and not just a couple of days, but she couldn't stop the nerves from settling in as she thought about having to share what had happened. When Esme stepped away, Bella reached for Edward's hand and pulled her down beside her on the bed. He immediately put his arm around her waist and gave her a comforting squeeze.

The police officers who came into her room were the same ones Carlisle had spoken to the day before. Bella recognized them both, but couldn't recall either name. She immediately thought of them as the polite-one and the tall-guy. They greeted Carlisle and he introduced them to the rest of the room, leaving Bella for last.

"You probably know Chief Swan's daughter already."

"Yes, it's nice to see you again, Bella. I wish it was under better circumstances," the polite-one spoke for both officers and Bella wondered if he would have remembered her name if these were different circumstances. She instinctively leaned back against Edward and everyone could sense her discomfort. "We'll try to get this over with as soon as possible."

"Do you know what we want to talk about?" the tall-guy asked abruptly, taking out a pocket tape recorder. Bella stared at the formal looking piece of equipment and suddenly felt very unsure of herself.

"This is just a standard question to start with," the polite-one assured her when she remained silent. "It needs to be clear that we are not leading you with any questions. We just want you to give us your statement in your own words. So, can you tell us what you believe we are here to talk to you about?

Bella swallowed. "Jacob?" her voice came out so much weaker than she expected it to. "Jacob," she said again more firmly.

"Can you be more specific?" the tall-guy demanded.

"Jacob Black and what he…" Bella paused and took a breath. "And what happened last Saturday night…"

"_Just_ on Saturday?" the tall-guy snapped, but his partner interrupted with a shake of his head. "All right, fine, let's start there. Tell us where you were on Saturday and exactly what happened."

"And, Bella," the polite-one spoke to her again. "Try not to leave out any details. No matter how difficult or insignificant. You never know what might be important to..."

"Hello! I'm the daughter of a cop. Remember?" Bella spoke up, her irritation finally giving her the extra confidence she needed right then. "Do you want to let me talk or not?"

Edward chuckled behind her and pressed his lips to her hair to hide his grin. Damn, he loved her!

"Please," the polite-one gave her a smile and motioned for her to continue.

"OK," Bella nodded, trying to gather her thoughts and hold on to her bravery. "On Saturday night I had to go to this barbecue at the Reservation for Jacob Black's birthday. I didn't want to go because I never really liked Jacob much. He's the son of my father's best friend so I've been to his parties before, but only with my parents. I didn't think anyone expected me to go alone, but my father called me earlier that day and said I had to." When she saw the confusion on some of the faces she decided to back up a little. "See, this week is Spring Break and I was staying at the Cullen's house while my parents were in Vancouver. That's where my dad called me, and that's where Jacob picked me up and brought me back that evening."

Bella stopped then and gripped at Edward's arm while taking several deep breaths.

"So, Jacob Black brought you back to the Cullen's house after the barbecue on Saturday night," the polite-one repeated to her. "About what time was this."

"A little after 8:00, maybe," Bella replied. "Everyone was still out…. I mean, I _thought_ everyone was still out."

"Why did you assume that?"

"The house was dark and everyone had told me they had plans to be out very late. Alice made sure I had a key in case I was the first one in."

"So, you used to key to let yourself in?"

"Yes."

"Alone."

"No," Bella looked down and swallowed loudly again. She wished she had thought to ask for a glass of water. "No, Jacob came in with me."

"You invited him in?"

"No, not exactly. He insisted on walking me inside to make sure it was safe. He said Charlie would be irritated with him if he couldn't say he had made absolutely sure I was safe when he left." Bella felt defensive which seemed unfair and that made her mad. "I know it sounds stupid, but I didn't know… I mean, I never thought… I'd known him forever and I just wanted to get rid of him so I told him he could come in and …."

"OK, that's enough!" Carlisle jumped him, the look on his face was a mixture of shock and anger. It was odd to see such a look on the normally calm man. "I think she needs a break."

Edward glanced at his mother's face and saw a similar expression, only her face also showed grief that was emphasized by the moisture in her eyes. His parents weren't ignorant and they could probably tell where this story was going. That knowledge only made them more concerned about Bella, though, and he could see that added protectiveness solidifying in both of them.

"Thank you, Carlisle," Bella said. "But this isn't going to get any easier and I just want to get it over with." She didn't wait for anyone to try to contradict her before she pushed on. "So, yes, I let Jacob come with me inside when I thought that no one was home. We walked into the foyer and I turned on the light. I told Jake that he could see I was safe so he could go. Only, he wouldn't."

Bella kept her face bent low, unable to speak the rest if she had to look into their faces. Her fingers unconsciously pulled at the sleeve of Edward's shirt as she kept trying to get the next sentence out.

"He… grabbed me around the waist and asked for a birthday kiss," she blurted out, trying not to gag on the memory. "I told him _no_ and tried to push him away. At first I thought he was just goofing off and I wanted him to know how irritating it was. But he wasn't goofing around and he grabbed me by my neck with his other hand. It hurt. And that's when I got really scared… and… I shoved him as hard as I could. I tried to turn away from him so he couldn't kiss me but…his mouth still landed on my cheek and it was _disgusting. _I kept shoving at him harder, but it was like…" Bella shook her head in frustration, "It was like trying to push over a wall! It was like, nothing I did even fazed him. He just laughed! He laughed at me! Like he was having fun!"

Bella looked up then and noticed the tears on Esme's face. She started to regret putting them through this and resolved to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"I yelled at him to stop it," she went on after a deep breath. "I told him he was hurting me but he said that… he said that I liked it. But I didn't! And he knew that because I was crying and then he held my hands behind my back. He shoved his knee into my thigh so I couldn't move and… and… then… he…"

Bella didn't even realize she was sobbing at this point until she registered Edward's arms locking around her and holding her face to his chest. She could still smell Jacob's moist breath on her neck and the way he'd been hard against her leg as she struggled. It made her want to vomit.

"OK, that's it. This is over," Edward's voice was firm above her. "You have enough for now. She done."

"I know this isn't easy…"

"You don't know shit!" Edward snapped at the cop who had spoken; the polite-one or the tall-guy, she wasn't sure.

"I'm OK," Bella gasped, finally realizing just how hard she'd been crying. "Just a second. Please. I want to finish this."

Edward didn't like it but he didn't argue with her as she sat up and wiped at her eyes. "Can we get a glass of water?" he asked his dad who turned quickly to the counter behind him to get the pitcher.

Once Bella had taken a few sips of the cool water she felt like she could continue. "OK, we can start again," she said.

The tall-guy checked the recorder and nodded to her. "You were just saying that he held you against the wall…"

Bella nodded. "Yeah. And he started to shove his hand down my pants," she pushed the words out in a rush, "but that's when I heard the yelling and Jacob flew off of me."

"He _flew_ off of you? I don't understand."

"Edward had heard the yelling from upstairs," Bella turned to look into Edward's face before turning back to continue. "I didn't know he was in the house, so neither did Jacob."

"Why were you in the house?" the tall-guy asked Edward. "Weren't you supposed to be gone."

Edward's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, well, I'd never really planned to be gone all night."

"Then why had you told her otherwise."

Edward sighed and ran his hand over his face. "We'd had a stupid fight, OK? I told Bella I was going out all night because I was pissed at her and being an asshole."

Bella pulled his hand back down and held it in hers. "No, it wasn't a big deal," she said more for Edward's benefit than the others. "We'd had a little fight and I thought he was mad at me but he wasn't. He'd come back early to wait for me."

"Why?"

"So I could apologize, dickhead," Edward snapped. "What? You've never had a girlfriend before?"

The tall-guy glared at him, but let it slide as he turned his attention back to Bella. "So, Mr. Cullen was in the house when Mr. Black attacked you?"

"That's right. And he stopped him."

"How?"

Bella looked uncomfortable. "What do you mean? He pulled him off of me and made him stop."

"_How_?" the tall-guy pushed again.

"What do you want me to say? I was being attacked and then I wasn't. Isn't that enough?"

"Ms. Swan, we need the details. Is there something you don't want to tell us?"

Bella started to shake her head, but Edward cut in to stop her.

"She's trying to protect me," he told them, a warning in his voice. "She doesn't want me to get into trouble for slamming the son-of-a-bitch's skull into the floor and breaking his nose with my fist."

"Edward… Don't."

"I'm not sorry for what I did, Bella. And I'm not going to deny I'd do it again!" Edward said with intense seriousness. "I could hear her screaming up in my room and when I ran to the front door I saw that miserable bastard crushing her against the wall. She was crying and pleading and his hands were all over her. He was hurting her! And the only reason I didn't beat him unconscious right there was because..."

"Son, that's enough," Carlisle's voice broke in with his usual tone of authority, if not his usual calm. "That's enough. I don't think the officers need to hear more of that right now."

"This happened in our house?" Esme whispered into the brief silence. "While Bella was staying in _our house_, this happened to her?"

"Why didn't one of you tell us?" Carlisle asked without accusation.

"It was Bella's choice who to tell," Edward stated, gently brushing her hair away from her face and placing a kiss on her forehead. "Emmett started to figure it out after we ran into Jacob at the lake a couple of days later. And Alice found out because she was eavesdropping."

"What about your parents, Bella?" Esme asked in concern, trying to get her to look up at them. "They were only a phone call away."

"I didn't know what to do at first," Bella said quietly, her head still lowered. "Jacob's father, Billy, is Charlie's best friend. I thought my dad might hate Billy, or something, because of his son and loose this friendship he's had forever. And, I didn't want my parents to have something else to worry about."

"Something else?" Esme repeated, gently reaching forward to place her hand on Bella's legs. "Something other than you? What could they worry about more than you?"

Bella looked up at her then. "Do you remember the other night when my dad called during dinner?" she asked, speaking directly to Esme now.

"You ran upstairs crying."

Bella nodded. "He called because he was mad at me. Billy told him that Edward beat up Jacob because he was jealous; and that I let him do it. Charlie thought we were picking on him because he was younger or because he was from the reservation. He yelled at me and told me I wasn't to have anything to do with Edward anymore and that I had to apologize to Jacob."

"Oh, dear," Esme sympathized as she saw the tears start to build in Bella's eyes again. "You poor dear. No wonder you were so upset that night."

"Bella?" Carlisle asked tenderly, coming to stand directly behind his wife. "I understand why you'd be upset. It was very wrong of Charlie to jump to conclusions like that. But, he is your father and he loves you. When you explain to him what really happened with Jacob, he is going to be so sorry for what he sad. He'll be so angry with Jacob he'll never want you to be anywhere near him again."

For some reason, Carlisle's words, spoken with such simple certainty, made Bella start to cry. Yes, that is how it should have been. That is how a father was supposed to act. So, why didn't hers love her enough to do that?

Edward tried to brush the tears from her face as quickly as they fell, alternating soothing hushes and soft kisses to her checks.

"What is it dear? There's more," Esme coaxed her.

"I did," she choked out.

"Did what?"

"I… I did tell him. I told Charlie what really happened with Jacob."

"Oh," Carlisle and Esme exchanged glances. "What did he say?"

"He didn't believe me."

"He what?" they both declared in shock.

"He didn't believe me," Bella told them again. "He said Jake would never do that. He said Jake was a good kids and I just misunderstood."

"What exactly does he think you misunderstood?" Esme asked through clenched teeth and she tried to keep her rage in check. "How does one misunderstand being attacked?"

"Jake told him he tried to kiss me and that I just freaked out and over-reacted. Charlie said all boys will try to steal a kiss and I shouldn't make such a big deal out of it."

"But, Bella, did you tell him how he hurt you?" Carlisle inquired. "How he held you down even after you cried _no_? How he tried to force himself on you."

"I told him all of that!" Bella said loudly, nearly sobbing again now. "He said I was wrong. Nothing else. I was just wrong and that I'd been mean to Jacob for no reason."

"Charlie still wanted her to apologies to that bastard," Edward added. "And to spend more time with him so she could get to know him better. Can you believe that?"

"And he wanted to force me away from Edward."

"What about your mother, Bella?" Carlisle continued. "What was her reaction?"

"She didn't know what to think, I guess. I thought maybe she was on my side after I showed her the bruise."

"Bruise?"

"Yeah, I have a bruise on my leg from where he held me against the wall with his knee," she watched Carlisle and Esme share another glance before continuing. "I showed it to my mom when they got back into town. She said she would talk to Charlie so, I guess I thought she believed me. That she understood."

"But, she didn't?" Esme asked.

"That next morning…. Charlie invited Billy and Jacob over… for breakfast."

Both Carlisle and Esme reacted to this almost like a physical blow. Esme jumped back with a start and Carlisle pushed his hands into his hair and turned to pace the room with a muttered, "What the hell?"

"Why would he _do_ that?"Esme practically shouted. "What could he have been _thinking?"_

"He said we should all just clear the air and be friends," Bella muttered, her crying under control for the moment. "Forgive and forget."

"_Forgive and forget?_ What did Rene say to that idea?"

"Nothing," Bella's eyes hardened then. "She didn't say anything. She didn't warn me that Charlie had invited them. She didn't stop Charlie from inviting them. She didn't stand by the door and tell them not to come in. She just did… NOTHING…and let me be trapped into facing them."

"Oh, dear…dear," Esme perched on the side of the bed and took Bella's hand. "What did you do?"

"I ran to your house," she told her. "As soon as I could get away I told my parents I wasn't staying with them another minute, and I ran to your house."

"And that is where you will stay," Esme nodded, glancing up at her son's face where it rested on Bella's head. "For as long as you want to be there, that is where you will stay."

Edward smiled, relieved to have his mom on their side.

"Thank you," Bella whispered through her tears. "Even if I can't, it's nice to know you'd want me."

"Always, dear," Esme said, her own tears threatening to fall. "After all, who else is going to keep my son in line?"

Bella looked up then to see Esme wink at her and she laughed softly. "He gets that from you," she told her with a genuine smile. "I thought he was the only one who could make me laugh when I'm crying. But he must get that from you."

Esme patted her cheek with a tender "thank you" before someone cleared their throat behind them.

"Ms. Swan?" the polite-one spoke slowly, and Bella realized she's nearly forgotten about the police officers in the room. "I know this has been very difficult for you and you've done well. But we do need to continue to the end now."

"The end?" she asked in confusion.

"What more do you need?" Edward asked protectively, wanting this over for her.

"You are in the hospital for a reason," the tall-guy pointed out. "And you didn't sustain these injuries Saturday night."

"No, I got these," Bella pointed to her head and her arm in the sling, "the second time Jacob attacked me."

"He attacked you again?" Carlisle said in alarm.

Bella nodded. "It was my fault that time. I did something really stupid."

"Bella, none of this is your fault!" Edward interrupted sternly.

"Thanks for that," she nodded back to him. "But, I was acting reckless. I know you won't deny _that_."

"Doesn't make you at fault for what he did," Edward said, more gently this time.

"What reckless thing did you do?" the tall-guy asked.

"I broke up his date with Leah and embarrassed him in front of her to start with." Bella sighed. "But the really reckless part was being at his father's cabin to begin with." When she saw their puzzled expressions she went on to tell them how they'd been hiking and stumbled across Jacob's car at the Cabin. "I'd tried to talk Leah out of going out with him earlier that day. She didn't believe me, of course, because Jake has everyone convinced his is this great guy. So, I knew she'd be with him; alone. I just couldn't leave her vulnerable like that."

"Bella, you should have gone for help!" Carlisle said with just a slight scolding tone.

"I know. I know. It was reckless and… and… selfish!"

"Why do you say it was 'selfish?" the polite-one asked.

"Because I put myself in danger and that put everyone else in danger, including Leah. I could have gotten her killed by making Jacob lash out. I was so scared that I had!" Bella looked at Carlisle again and he could see deep remorse on her face. "I should have gone to get her help. That is what I should have done. But, I didn't because _I _couldn't stand the idea of Jacob getting away with something again. I didn't because _I_ was so angry at him and so angry at everyone who didn't believe me. Mostly, though… I didn't want to go to my father for help because I wanted to prove to him that he was wrong." Bella leaned back against Edward, clutching at his arm, and took a deep breath. "And for that, I put Edward in danger. And Emmet, and everyone else who went looking for me…"

After a moment of silence, the tall-guy spoke up. "Leah Clearwater says you saved her life."

"Leah's OK?" Bella asked hopefully, raising her head. "You talked to her?"

"She gave her statement yesterday before she went home."

"What did she say?" Edward asked. Bella hadn't given him too many details about the attack in the cabin yet and he was anxious to know how bad Leah's account was.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that," the tall-guy said again. "But I would be interested in hearing Ms. Swan's account."

"Not right now," Carlisle told him. "Ms. Swan has done enough for now. It is time for her to rest."

"No, Carlisle, I'm fine," Bella insisted, leaning heavily against Edward in a way that contradicted what she said. "I want to get this over with. Please."

"I understand how you must feel, but you need to rest for awhile," he told her. "It's still early and I'm sure the officers can come back later today."

"He's right," Edward agreed when he saw Bella start to argue again. She shot him a look like he was a traitor. "Remember how you were going to make your health a priority? Do you want to be stuck here longer?"

"Fine," Bella finally agreed. "But I want to finish this today. OK?"

"Of course," Carlisle smiled at her then and surprised her by leaning over to take her hand. "We all want you to be able to move on from this, Bella. And we will all be there for you along the way."

"Yes," Esme echoed before Bella could even respond. "We will. For whatever you need."

"Thanks," Bella managed to whisper as she felt her throat tighten.

"Oh, my dear," Esme stretched forward to envelope her in a hug. "I'm so, so sorry."

When Esme released her Carlisle patted his shoulder before ushering the police out of her room. Esme turned at the door to wave good-bye and noticed that Bella had already twisted around on the bed to wrap her arms around Edward's waist and burry her face in his shirt.

"Let her rest until at least after lunch," Carlisle told the officers when they were all back in the hall. "You can come back and finish then."

"The chief will want to see our report by the end of the day."

"I don't care what Charlie wants," Carlisle said, not bothering to hide his hostility. "I am her doctor and I will decide when she can talk to you."

The tall-guy shrugged. "Fine, you can tell him that yourself. He just stepped around that corner."

Carlisle turned to see Charlie and Rene rushing down the hallway towards them.

"Is everything all right?" Charlie asked before they'd even reached them. "Did she give her statement?"

"Can she come home today?" Rene asked almost as quickly as her husband.

Carlisle felt the unfamiliar heat of anger rising inside him as he faced Bella's parents. He took a determined step towards them, not caring about the audience they had, and prepared to speak his mind. The only thing that stopped him was not being as fast as his wife.

"Charlie Swan!" Esme yelled in a voice few had ever heard her use. "What the _HELL _is the matter with you?

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_**I can't believe how long this chapter turned out to be and I still ended it earlier than I'd originally intended. I hope you liked it and that you're anxious to see what the Cullens have to say to Charlie. There is going to be some more "fun" stuff coming up too. After all, we can't be serious all the time. **_

_**As always, thank you so much for reading!**_

_**Alexanya**_


	24. Home

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

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_**AN:**_

_**I have a question for all of you. It's been suggested more than once that I should use a beta which I have considered doing. The ONLY reason I haven't used one in the past is a matter of time. I'll be honest, I post these chapters the second I get them finished because I hate making people wait. If I start to use a beta it will probably delay the updates by at least a few days, but there will also be less of those pesky spelling and grammar mistakes I don't always catch. What do you readers prefer? More polished chapters or faster updates? I already have someone in mind to beta for me, so it is no problem to start going that route. Majority consensus will rule, so let me know :)**_

_**Also, I created my first banner ever for this story. Yeah, I'm pretty inept with that sort of thing, but it was fun. I've made it my avatar because I didn't know another way to post it for readers to see. Like I said, inept ;) But, I hope you can see it and you like it… especially the little Root Beer touch I added!**_

_**One last thing, Enemy Mine is being translated into Swedish by the wonderful Kayfication so I just want to say thank you so much to her for all her hard work and for being so good to me and this story!**_

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Enemy Mine

_Chapter 24: "Home"_

_"Charlie Swan!" Esme yelled in a voice few had ever heard her use. "What the __HELL __is the matter with you?"_

Carlisle looked at his wife in shock. She was a small woman but she could produce an intimidating yell when she was angry enough. And, clearly, she was mad as hell now!

"Bella is your daughter! You are supposed to be a protective father. You are the chief of police and you don't even care when your own child is attacked? And you, Rene," Esme went on without letting either of the stunned pair speak a word. "I know you've always been a free spirit, but you are a parent now! When you have a child her well-being is supposed to come before your own or your husband's or even the fate of the world if it came to that! You. Are. A. Mother!"

Esme only paused because her voice was horse from screaming and Charlie grabbed the chance to refute her.

"Now, just hold on a moment," he started out, trying to keep an edge out of his voice because he knew she wasn't completely wrong. "I know I should have listened to Bella sooner. I thought I knew better and I feel awful for how wrong I was, but…"

"There is no excuse for how that girl has been treated by the two of you!" Esme cut him off when she had her voice back, her venom every bit as fierce. "She is lost and hurting; she feels completely betrayed and abandoned by the two people she trusted the most for all of her life. As if being attacked – TWICE – wasn't bad enough. How could you two _do_ that to her? To your own daughter? How?"

"What's going on here?" Edward walked up behind his parents, glancing between them and the Swans in concern.

"Edward," Carlisle looked at him, puzzled. "I thought you were going to stay with Bella."

"I came out to ask the nurse for some juice," he explained, his hard gaze still fixed on Charlie and Rene. "She still won't eat, so I thought she might at least drink something besides water."

"Why won't Bella eat?" Rene asked him in surprise.

Edward stared at her an extra moment. "She never eats. Haven't you noticed?"

"What do you mean she never eats?" Charlie asked. "Of course she eats."

Edward rolled his eyes and started to turn away.

"Wait," Rene stepped forward and placed her hand on his arm. "Edward, please. What do you mean Bella never eats?"

"Didn't my dad explain her condition to you?" he asked in confusion.

"He said she was vitamin deficient and overly stressed," Rene repeated, looking back at Carlisle. "And that she needed rest."

"Well, how the hell do you think she got to be vitamin deficient, Rene?" Edward demanded. "She is too stressed out to eat or sleep most of the time!"

"What is she so stressed out about?"

"What do you think?"

Rene hesitated. "The attacks and her father…"

"This isn't something that just came up," Carlisle interrupted. "It takes weeks or even months for a condition like this to develop. But the last few days certainly have worsened it."

"Then I don't understand what could have caused it," Charlie exclaimed in frustration, his defensive glare returning to Edward. "She's always been good in school. Grades don't worry her and she has lots of friends."

"And we haven't had any problems with her until this week," Rene added. "We've never even had to ground her! I just don't understand."

"Of course you've never had problems with her; the two of you have too many problems between yourselves!"

Rene looked shocked. "What… I don't know what you mean."

"Yes you do," Edward said, shaking his head. "Come on, Rene. She's not stupid, you know? It's not like she doesn't know you and Charlie are close to filing for divorce!"

Esme gasped softly and shared a surprised look with Carlisle.

Charlie's face turned red. "That is none of your business."

"Trust me, I don't give a damn about your marital problems," Edward told them. "But you are both crazy if you think that shit doesn't affect _her. _I mean, why do you think she planned that whole stupid trip to Vancouver for you in the first place? She was so concerned about your second honeymoon being so fucking perfect that she didn't even want to bother you with a phone call when she'd been attacked and needed you!"

"I know we let her down," Rene finally spoke.

"Let her down? Rene, you've just about given her a fucking ulcer at only seventeen!"

"But when we get her home we are going to try to make it up to her."

At those words, Carlisle stepped forward to stand beside his wife. "She isn't going home with you. Not right now."

"How long does she have to stay in the hospital?" Charlie asked.

"I'm not talking about her staying in the hospital. I'm hoping she can be discharged tomorrow, maybe even tonight. I'm talking about her coming to stay with us."

Charlie's eyes widened and then narrowed. "That isn't necessary."

"We're not asking," Esme told him. "We are explaining to you what needs to happen now. This is about what Bella _needs_!"

"She needs to come home and rest," Rene insisted.

"I agree. But _not_ your home."

"What are you talking about? Our home _is_ Bella's home. We are her parents," Rene stated. "Esme, it's not that I don't appreciate how wonderful you've always been to her. But, you of all people must understand that she is my daughter and _I_ need to take care of her."

"I'm not arguing what _you_ need, Rene," Esme continued. "This is about Bella. And Bella needs to be where she feels calm and safe so she can heal."

"You don't think she feels safe with me in her own house?"

"Not when you cook breakfast for the young man who tried to rape her and expect her to sit down and eat with him in that house… No, I don't think she feels safe with you there at all!"

Rene's mouth hung open slightly but she said nothing in return and, for once, even Charlie was speechless.

"You didn't protect her," Esme went on to explain. "You threw her to the wolves and forced her to face her attacker in her own house without even her parents' support. What did you expect her to do after that betrayal, go back home with a hug and a smile?"

Rene nodded her head, finally starting to understand the severity of what they had done. "She said she was leaving to stay with you when she stormed out that morning, but I thought… I guess, I thought that after all that happened on the mountain she would now _want_ to come home."

"I think that is what _you_ want, Rene," Esme said, her voice calmer. "But you have got to start thinking about what Bella needs and not what you want."

After a few moments of silence, Edward turned again to leave. He didn't need to add anything to this conversation. His parents were handling it beautifully and he couldn't be more proud or grateful to them.

He was almost to the door before Rene's voice stopped him again.

"Edward?" she called out timidly and waited for him to walk back. "I think I know the answer, but I have to ask. Do you really believe Bella doesn't want to come home with us? Do you think she knows that we really do want her there? I don't want her to think that we just don't want her."

Edward actually found a smile, although a small one. Rene was finally starting to think about Bella's needs first. "Honestly, Rene… I don't know if she knows that or not. I know, in spite of everything, that Bella loves you. And she'll still worry about you because that's just the way she is. But, she needs some time away; a break from you both. She's taken a lot of blows lately... physically and metaphorically, actually." Edward flinched at his own choice of words.

"That son-of-a-bitch hit her?" Charlie snapped suddenly, surprising everyone. Edward gave him an incredulous look which made Charlie clarify. "I haven't talked to her or been given any report about what happened up there. I didn't know how her injuries were sustained."

"Well she didn't fucking give them to herself!" Edward snapped back.

Charlie immediately opened his mouth but, surprisingly, closed it again. After a moment he muttered bitterly, "I'm gonna kill that little shit myself!"

Edward nodded. "That's a little more like it," he said, matching Charlie's bitterness.

"I still think she should come home," Charlie added.

Edward nodded again. "And I still don't get a damn what _you_ think."

As he turned to walk back to Bella's room, he heard Charlie continuing to argue the point but he couldn't refute the medical reasons his father gave for keeping Bella in a calm environment. Not to mention the fact that no one seemed to want to face off with Esme again any time soon.

Edward almost forgot to ask the nurse for some juice before stepping back into the room, but Bella wasn't fooled by his gentle smile as he sauntered to her side.

"You've been gone way too long," she reasoned. "What happened out there?"

"I asked the nurse for some juice," he replied innocently.

"And?"

"She said she'd bring you some."

"Edward…" she chastised. "You know that's not what I meant. What took so long? And don't bother making up a story because that is just going to piss me off."

"It's nothing you need to worry about right now, sweetheart."

"Are you seriously trying to patronize me?"

"Bella…"

"No, fuck that! Don't you 'Bella' me. And you damn well know better than to patronize me, Edward Cullen! Now you've gone passed pissing me off and are in serious danger of making me angry!"

Edward watched the color rise to her cheeks as she berated him for codling her. There were literally sparks in her eyes as she glared at him and, damn, he just wanted to provoke her some more and then kiss the breath out of her.

"I fucking love you," he said with a goofy grin.

"Don't change the subject," Bella glared even more. "And I fucking love you too. Now, what happened out there?"

Edward sighed. He knew he would never get away with not giving her the whole story, but it had been fun to try. "Your parents are back."

"Oh, shit."

"No, it's not that bad. It was just a little discussion."

"About?"

Edward moved forward to sit on the edge of her bed again. "About the fact that _you_ are coming home with _me_ when you leave this place."

"Please tell me you didn't phrase it exactly that way," Bella said, raising her eyebrows.

"I didn't have to. My mother was already being your champion when I went out there. And my dad was right there backing her up."

"Really? That's… They're too good to me."

"Hey, what about me?" Edward teased. "I'm good to you."

Bella smiled. "Yes, but you get a little more in return, don't you think?" Moving her hands to his face she pulled him in for a long kiss.

"So, am I forgiven for trying to patronize you?"

"Oh, hell no!" Bella declared. "There is still serious groveling and servitude in your future first."

"Well… I could start by giving you a sponge bath," he offered suggestively pulling at the top button of her pajama top. "Would you like that?"

"Hmmm…." Bella sighed as she let him undo the first two buttons. "Maybe…"

Edward's eyes shot up in hopeful surprise. "Really?"

"No, not really!" Bella slapped his hand away with a laugh. "What are you thinking?"

Edward pouted. "Well, you already let me do other stuff."

Bella blushed and covered her face. "I know. I'm blaming that on the drugs they gave me."

"I don't think they gave you any drugs…"

"Yes they did! That's the story and we are sticking to it. Got it?"

"Whatever you say, sweetheart." He leaned in to nibble on her ear. "But we both know I make you feel better than any drug would."

"Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you, Cullen?" she asked, tilting her head so he could kiss her neck.

"Well, it could just be your lack of self-control…"

"Is that right? Well, we haven't had as much opportunity to test _your_ self-control…" Bella hand traveled to his waist and lower, "… in all the same… _regions_."

Her hand grazed the front of his pants that had quickly become very hard. Edward gasped and all but collapsed on her shoulder as she continued to stroke him softly.

"What was that, Mr. Cullen?" she purred. "Did you try to say something?"

Another gasp followed as his teeth began to sink lightly into the skin at her collar bone. "Fuuuck…Baaabyyy…" he moaned slowly as she started to apply more pressure. "I want you so bad…"

"Hmmm… that'd be nice," she teased as she moved to squeeze him. "But what would the nurse say?"

"What nurse?" He tried to push himself closer and reach his hand between the lose button of her top.

"That one," Bella announced cheerfully as she suddenly removed her hand and pushed him away just as a light knock preceded a young nurse walking into the room.

"I have your juice, Miss Swan. I hope Orange is all right."

"Yes, it's fine. Thank you," Bella answered as if she'd been doing nothing more interesting than watching TV. "Can you just leave it on the table there?"

Edward stayed seated and refused to turn around, praying the young nurse was too preoccupied to notice the unfortunate state his was in. Facing so only Bella could see him, he mouthed the words. "Shrew! There will be payback for that!"

Bella smirked, but looked slightly remorseful. "I'll make it up to you. How about this?" she whispered to him before raising her voice to call out to the nurse. "Could I ask one more favor? If it's not too much trouble, could have some toast brought to me?"

"Of course, Miss Swan. You can have anything you'd like from the kitchen."

"Just toast, please. No butter, just some jelly on the side. Thank you."

When the nurse left, Bella looked at Edward with a proud grin on her face. "Does that make you happy?" she asked.

"That makes me ecstatic, baby," he replied with a soft kiss. "Thank you."

"So, am I forgiven for teasing you?"

"Oh hell no!" he replied, repeating what she had said earlier. "There _will_ be a sponge bath in your future first!"

Bella started to laugh. "And who do you think is going to give it to me?"

"Well, let me think. We could always ask Newton."

"Ewww!" she cried out, slapping at his chest. "Gross, gross, gross! Now how am I going to get that image out of my head, thank you very much!"

Edward was laughing too hard as he tried to ward off her blows to say anything in his defense.

"Well, what do we have here? Edward laughing and Bella trying to beat him," Carlisle's soft voice broke in from the doorway. "It's nice to see a bit of normalcy returning."

Bella peaked around Edward to beam at Carlisle. "I'm going to eat toast!" she informed him proudly

"Young lady, that makes my whole morning," Carlisle smiled back.

After Bella finished eating two pieces of toast, not the four pieces that Edward tried to get her to eat, she quickly fell asleep against her pillows and Edward stepped out to call his siblings with news of Bella coming home soon.

"We will have everything ready!" Alice assured him happily.

"What's to get ready?" Emmett asked through speaker phone. "She practically lives here already."

Edward could literally hear his sister roll her eyes. "Don't worry, Edward. You can count on _me_ to take care of things and Emmett will help me."

"Help with what?"

"Bella's homecoming," Alice explained in exasperation.

"Wasn't she just here two days ago?"

"This is different, Emmett. This is a _homecoming!"_ Alice said excitedly. "Edward, tell Bella we can't wait to have her back here and that we love her too, OK?"

"Yeah," Emmett agreed. "Tell her… wait, what? Who loves her too?"

"We do, Emmett," Alice explained. "Edward isn't the only one who loves her. We love her too…. just not in the same way he does." Alice sighed. "Just tell her, Edward."

"Edward loves her? How the hell did you find that out?"

"Bella told me."

"She did?"

"Well, I over-heard them saying it to each other first, but then Bella confirmed it."

"You and your damn eavesdropping, Alice. That's not fair."

"Ha! I finally know something _before _you, Emmett." Alice gloated. "And, they knew I was in the room at the time!"

Edward cleared his throat. "Since I don't really feel needed for this conversation, I'm going to hang up now."

"Wait, bro! It was just getting interesting!"

"Later," Edward promised, smiling into the phone. Damn, it really was going to be good to have Bella back home with his whole family again. "And I will tell her what you said, Alice."

By the time lunch was served Bella was awake and sitting up in the chair beside her bed. She ate half a bowl of soup, leaving the other half to go cold, by the time the two officers returned. Esme was already in the room with her and Edward, having offered to remain to add her support. Carlisle followed the two officers and remained by the door after it was closed.

"Miss Swan," One of the officers, the polite-one, began cautiously. "Do you have a problem with your parents being in here during your questioning?"

The spoon she'd been toying with dropped from Bella's hand as her eyes shot up. "Why?" she asked.

"The chief can't be a part of the questioning. It would be a conflict of interest," the officer explained. "But he and Mrs. Swan very much want to hear what you have to say."

Bella's eyes narrowed. "My dad wants to hear what I have to say? _Now_ he wants to hear what I have to say?"

"He can read the report himself," the tall-guy reminded her with a shrug. "He's already read the first part…"

"No," Bella retorted, sitting up taller in her chair and gripping the sides of it. "No need for that. If he wants to hear what happened then, by all means, let him hear it from _me._"

Before anyone could argue, the tall-guy reached behind Carlisle and opened the door. Charlie and Rene seemed to materialize out of no where and both stepped quickly into the room.

"Bella!" Rene exclaimed, her voice already choked up as she moved closer to the chair. "Oh, honey, are you all right? I've been so worried, Bella." It was clear that Rene wanted to throw her arms around her daughter, but she held herself back. "I… I'm so sorry…"

"Mom," Bella cut her off in a voice that was almost too calm. "I'm fine."

Rene nodded in understanding and took a step back to stand beside her husband. For once, the chief had absolutely no idea what to say. He looked at Bella and their eyes locked for several tense seconds before she very deliberately looked away from him. The anger she felt swelling inside didn't feel right and she didn't want it, but it also gave her the extra strength she was going to need to get through this.

_I won't be weak. I won't let them think I'm being ridiculous this time._

"I'm ready to get this over with," Bella announced to the room at large, pushing her tray aside and forcing her hands into her lap. "Where did I leave off before?"

Edward watched her in concern as the police officer reminded her she had just finished explaining how she came to be in the cabin with Jacob and Leah.

"That's right," Bella nodded, keeping her eyes on the two police officers only. "It was very, very cold," she began. "That isn't really important, I just remember so well how cold it was out on the porch and how hard it was raining…. Anyway, Leah was really pissed off because she thought I'd followed them there just to ruin their date. She actually thought I was jealous of her and Jacob, which would be funny if it wasn't so disgusting. So, there the two of us were fighting because I wanted her to believe that Jacob was dangerous to her and she thought I was some kind of tease who wanted all of the guys for myself…" That last statement made her pause and look down a moment. "I'm not," she finally said, looking back up at them. "I'm not like that at all. I never liked Jacob. I never wanted him. I'm _not_ a tease."

She seemed to be waiting for someone to agree with or contradict her, so the polite-one finally nodded. "We understand, Miss Swan. Please continue."

"Jacob must have thought our argument was amusing. At least I imagine he did. We were making it so easy for him to play the part of the concerned gentlemen. Oh, you wouldn't believe how good he is at that! If you saw him in action you'd know what I mean. He's a regular Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

"So, he was being Dr. Jekyll right then?" the officer tried to clarify. "He wasn't acting threatening to either of you?"

"No, not then," Bella explained. "But that's the point. It's like he is two people. He was perfectly fine at first and if I didn't know better he would have fooled me too. But, its like, when something makes his… _mask_ slip or his act start to fall apart, he just snaps!"

"OK, so something made him snap?"

Bella nodded and scrunched up her eyes. "It all happened so fast. I didn't even see it coming."

"What happened?"

"Leah was taunting me about wanting Jacob even though I already had a boyfriend. She'd seen me with Edward earlier that day but she was still jealous about Jacob." Bella shook her head at the memory. "I don't remember exactly what I said. I was so frustrated with her! I said something like 'Why would I ever want Jacob when I have Edward?' but that's when things start to go fuzzy…"

"Fuzzy? What do you mean?"

"The next thing I knew I was crashing into the coffee table and blood was pooling in my mouth…"

"What the hell!" Charlie yelled his first words since entering the room.

"I tried to get up, but my arm wouldn't work right," Bella went on without pause. "I could hear Leah's voice and it was totally different now. She wasn't smug at all. She was scared and confused. She kept saying 'you hit her' like it was a question; like she didn't understand."

"And what was Jacob doing?" the polite-one asked.

"He was Mr. Hyde now. He wasn't even trying to hide it from Leah." Bella gave an ugly laugh that sounded even worse when she lifted her head to show the tears in her eyes. "Poor girl didn't know what was happening, and I knew exactly how she felt, but Jacob wasn't really interested in her right then. It was me he wanted. It was like payback to him or… no… more like he had something to prove."

Edward didn't know how much more of this he could take. He knew Bella wanted to be strong but he wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her so badly he thought he would burst. His hand fell to her shoulder in a soft squeeze and he hoped she would understand that he just needed some sort of contact with her right then. She raised her own hand to cover his in an almost subconscious reaction and he could feel her tension ease just slightly as she went on.

"I knew Jacob was dangerous. I mean, that's why I was scared for Leah in the first place. But, even I didn't understand just how dangerous and how… _sick_ he is." Bella shuttered and looked around at the people in the room. "How much detail of the next part do I have to say out loud?"

Rene was crying openly, as was Esme, and Charlie's breathing was so harsh it sounded like a bull was standing in the corner.

"As much as you can," the polite-one told her. "Just take your time, Miss Swan."

Bella nodded and lowered her gaze to her lap again. "I couldn't get up and … and Jake got on top of me… and I couldn't move my arms."

Edward bit the inside of his cheek hard to keep from crying out in rage. He wanted to throw up. He wanted to kill Jacob Black. He wanted to grab Bella and hold her safe for the rest of her life… Damn it! Damn it all to hell!

Bella squeezed his hand almost as if she could sense his anguish in the midst of her own and paused for a moment to compose herself.

"He kept saying awful things," she went on. "Disgusting things and telling Leah to stay out of it and wait her turn."

"What was Leah doing?" the tall-guy prompted.

"She… um… I think she was hitting him. She was trying to get him to stop hurting me and he kept pushing her away. He grabbed her neck at one point and I thought he was going to strangle her but he just shoved her away and …and went back to me. He…" Bella swallowed down a sob. "Do I really have to say this next part?"

"We can clear the room if it is easier for you," the polite-one offered.

"Like any of this could be easy," Bella choked out, but then wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry, officer. It was nice of you to offer, but, no, that won't make it easier." Taking a deep breath she tried to block out everything but the sound of her own voice. "Jacob went back to focusing on me. He was on top of me. He was trying to kiss me, but I kept twisting my face away. He was moving all around … on me… His breath was fucking awful and I could…um… shit_…_ I could _feel_ him against me." Bella's breathing was picking up at the memory and she felt her heart pounding in her chest. "Nothing ever disgusted me in my life the way he did right then and so I just SPIT on him!"

"You spit on him?" Edward spoke the words before he could stop himself, a surge of pride racing through him.

Bella heard the pride in his voice and it soothed her like a caress. "I did," she said, looking up at him for the first time since the questioning began. "I spit on him and I told him he was garbage and filth and the thought of being with him made me sick!"

"That's my girl," Edward whispered, smiling down at her.

Bella held his gaze and smiled back, feeling some strength from him. "But," she went on, looking back at the police officers. "That really made Jacob furious. He was crazy. It was like, he was so angry he was calm; do you know what I mean? And it was absolutely terrifying. I thought for sure, in that moment, he was going to kill us both. "

"Why didn't you run?" the tall-guy ask.

"I couldn't. I knew it was too late when I saw the rage come over his face just before he pushed me back down on the floor and…" Bella stopped suddenly. The terrifying memory of that moment began to crystallize in her mind and she could hear Jacob's menacing voice again. "He said, 'You shouldn't have done that, Bella. I was going to do this nicely,' and he slammed my head down again. 'Now I'm going to make sure you don't enjoy this at all!' he told me and he just kept slamming my head into the floor until…."

"Stop, stop, just stop!" Rene cried. "Don't make her say any more, I can't stand it!"

Bella looked at her mom in shock as the whole room seemed to freeze. "Mom," she said softly. "You can leave if you want to. But I have to finish this."

Rene looked at her daughter through her tears before turning to glare at Charlie. "This is all your fault!" she hissed at her husband. "How could you let this happen to her?"

"Mom!" Bella said again, "This is not helping me."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, honey," Rene stammered, her jaw trembling.

"It's OK if you want to leave, mom," Bella told her softly. "I know this isn't easy so, really, it's OK."

"No," she shook her head. "No, it's not OK. And, no, I'm not leaving."

Bella nodded and held her mother's gaze. "I got away, mom," she assured her softly. "I'll be all right. I got away and I'm safe now."

"Even now," Rene whispered, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Even now, you're the one trying to comfort me."

After a moment the tall-guy cleared his throat. "How did you manage to get away, Miss Swan."

"Leah kept fighting him," Bella went back to explaining. "I kept telling her to run, but she found something to hit him with. It might have done a little damage because it got him to move off of me and turn on her. I saw him throw her against the fireplace and I remember the way she crumpled to the floor and… fuck!.. I really thought he had killed her. I think he thought it too because he started to panic. He wouldn't even let me check on her. He wanted to drag me out to his car but I managed to just get away long enough to run. And I ran…. And ran and ran and ran. I don't remember much else. Just running in the woods. It was dark and I think I tried to double-back to check on Leah, but my head was so dizzy and I kept throwing up…."

"That was your concussion," Carlisle told her, speaking for the first time. "You may have even lost consciousness a few times."

"I think I fell," Bella said, looking to Carlisle for conformation. "I remember the feeling of falling, but I also remember thinking I was under the covers in bed so I know I was confused." She turned to look up at Edward. "You were there, weren't you? I mean, I know you were there. That part wasn't confusion, right?"

Edward knelt down beside her. "You had gone over the side of a ledge by the river. That's where I found you."

"And you stayed with me," she nodded. "That's all I remember before I woke up in the hospital and didn't know where you were." Turning back to the police officers she asked, "What happened to Jacob? Where is he now?"

It was Charlie who answered her. "He's at the station. He's in custody waiting a formal hearing."

"Where did you find him?" Bella asked her father. "Did he run? How did you catch him?"

"He ran after you but couldn't find you. We got him before he could take off from the cabin."

Bella just nodded. "Will he get out?"

"Not if I can stop it," Charlie told her.

Bella closed her eyes and nodded again. It was too hard to look at her father right then. The betrayal was still so raw. Looking at her mother's guilty tears wasn't any easier for her to take and she suddenly felt very tired. Edward noticed the weariness to her shoulders and wrapped his arms around them so she could lean into him.

"Do you have everything you need right now?" Bella asked the officers, moving deeper into Edward's embrace and willing herself to hold it together just a little longer.

"Yes, Miss Swan. You did very well."

"I think it best if everyone takes their leave now," Carlisle spoke up. "She needs to get back into bed and rest."

"Please, Carlisle, not here," Bella suddenly protested, the emotions she'd kept at bay starting to fight their way to the surface. "I don't want to be here anymore and you said I might get to leave today."

Edward nodded. "She's off the IV and the oxygen, right dad? Can't she be discharged and rest at home?"

"Please, Carlisle?" Bella agreed, thinking how nice it would be to cuddle up with Edward on the couch while they just watched TV with Alice and Emmett. "I know I'd rest better if I could."

"Home?" Rene questioned. "Do you mean, _home_, honey?"

Bella looked at her mother and found herself at a lost for words. She had no desire to hurt her, but she also did not want to go back to her parents' house any more now than she did the morning she stormed out. Bella's silence spoke volumes, though, and Rene finally understood.

"You want to go back to the Cullen's house, don't you?" she sighed. Bella didn't answer her and Rene looked away before she could even nod. "Carlisle, you're the doctor," she said as she grabbed her husband's arm to pull him towards the door. "We'll do what you think is best."

Charlie nodded reluctantly to Carlisle as he followed Rene and the two officers out of the room. Just before closing the door he paused and, without turning, he stammered, "We love you very much, Bella," and closed the door behind him.

Bella stared at the door in silence, trying to recall the last time she'd heard her father say those words. She could feel Edward's arm tightening around her and his warm breath on her ear as he asked if she was all right.

"No," she told him as silent tears finally fought their way from her eyes.

Edward scooped her up immediately and she locked her arms around his neck tightly as he carried her to the bed.

"I'm so proud of you," he whispered as her cries grew to a soft whimper. "So, damn proud, baby. You're so fucking strong. I love you so much!"

Bella slowly calmed down as she listened to Edward's hushed praises. She couldn't believe she'd managed to go through all of that again and actually put it into words. It had been harder than she could have imagined but, now that it was done, she felt relieved.

"I did it," she stated as she pulled back slightly to look at Edward where he sat in front of her on the bed. "I can't believe I got through that."

"Of course you did," he told her. "You're the strongest person I know."

Bella gave him a watery smile. "I don't know about that."

"Are you kidding? Anyone who can take my shit for seventeen years and dish it right back at me has got to be one tough-ass bitch!"

"Did you just call me a bitch?" Bella asked in stunned amusement.

"A tough-ass bitch," Edward corrected her, brushing her hair back from her wet cheeks. "An adorable, feisty, sexy-as-hell, tough-ass bitch to be exact."

"I really hope your parents aren't still in the room," Bella laughed, peeking around his broad shoulders to look for herself.

"No, they left right after I picked you up," Edward said gently.

"That was nicely discreet of them," Bella said softly, securing her arms around his neck again so she could press her upper body against his chest.

Edward pulled her closer and lowered his left hand to stroke her ass. "Do you think it is too much to hope that they might keep the discreet behavior going once we are all back home?"

"Do you mean when I'm at your house?" Bella asked, moving her own hand lower so she could rub his chest.

"I mean when we are _home_, baby," he told her, pressing his forehead to hers. "Because from now on, my home is your home no matter what. Got it?"

"Got it," Bella nodded against his head. "You _are_ my home now, Edward."

"And you are mine," he whispered against her lips.

"And we are both so ridiculously lame," Bella laughed softly, keeping her mouth on his.

"Love does that too you, baby, didn't you know that?" he teased as he kissed her again. "Of course, you probably have more trouble controlling that than I do, with your lack of self control and…"

"Edward?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"Shut up and take me home."

* * *

_**So, what kind of fun do you think they might get into once they are back home? **_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

_**~Alexanya**_


	25. Moving Forward

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

* * *

Enemy Mine

_Chapter 25: "Moving Forward"_

"_Edward?"_

"_Yeah, baby?"_

"_Shut up and take me home."_

"Fuck, you have no idea how much I love how that sounds!" Edward enthused as he pushed Bella backwards onto her pillows and started kissing her neck.

Smiling, she moved her hand into his soft hair and held him to her as she arched her back. "Me too," she sighed as his mouth trailed down her collar bone and towards the edge of her pajama top.

Edward was kissing and sucking softly on her skin and Bella felt her body relaxing instantly. She moaned and stretched contently as his fingers pulled the peach fabric down so his mouth could reach the rounded swell of her breast.

"Ugh, you're so damn soft," he groaned into her chest, his tongue reaching just beneath the satin trim to brush across her hardened nipple.

"Ah!" Bella gasped. "Do that again."

He gladly obliged her, wishing like hell he could rip the damn top off and suck her entire nipple into his mouth. Just thinking about it was making him harder than he could have imagined and he suddenly remembered where they were.

"Don't stop!" Bella panted weakly when he started to pull back.

"Shit, you have no idea what hearing you say that does to me," Edward said, resting his forehead against her neck and trying to catch his breath.

"Don't stop," she whispered again as her hand traveled slowly down his back and over his tight ass.

"Baby… fuck!... you gotta stop that," he begged even as he pushed his body closer to hers.

"Why?" she asked seductively, placing kisses in his hair.

"Because if _you_ don't, then _I won't._"

"That's the idea." Bella laughed softly, but it sounded huskier that her usual giggle; almost sultry. The sound seemed to have a direct line to his pants and Edward latched his mouth onto her skin just to keep from crying out. "Oh, that feels good," she whimpered as he sucked on her collar bone.

"You're killing me," Edward whined and moved his mouth to suck the skin under her jaw. "You are literally killing me."

Bella moved her hand to his ass again and gripped the denim of his jeans as she pulled him harder against her. Every ounce of tension was fading away from her, just as every thought was fading from her mind except how Edward's body felt as it rubbed against hers.

"Oh, fuck! Edward, please, just don't stop. Not yet, please!"

"Holy shit, baby," he panted as his left hand came up to cup her breast and his right hand moved down her thigh to pull her leg around his hip. His body was lying between her legs now and he rocked against her so she could feel just how much he wanted her.

"Yes," Bella sighed. "More…"

Damn, but he _wanted_ to give her more. He wanted to give it all to her right now… right here…

Except that _here_ was a hospital room where anyone could walk in at any moment, including his parents.

"Oh, hell…" Edward said through gritted teeth.

Forcing himself to pull his hands away from her wonderfully soft body, he raised up on his arms just enough to look down at her.

"We did it again, didn't we?" Bella asked with a guilty blush

She was panting to catch her breath and licked her red lips that Edward suddenly realized he had sorely neglected. Well, that was something he'd be remedying soon enough.

"If you mean we got carried away and couldn't keep our hands off each other then, yeah, we definitely did it again," he told her as he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her tenderly. He was careful to keep his tongue in check and just moved his lips with hers gently, but their pulses still continued to race together. "I think we are going to have to wait for more of that," he said after forcing himself to break the long kiss.

"Fine, as long as there _will_ be more of that," Bella told him with a pout.

Edward chuckled and carefully pulled himself away from her and off of the bed. "Just you wait until I get you home."

"When?" she asked eagerly. "When do you think that will be? Can't we just go now?"

"Just hang on, baby. We actually do want to be sure you're ready to go. So let's see what my dad says, OK?"

"OK," Bella nodded reluctantly. "But, do you think it will be today?"

"If it's not," Edward told her gently. "I'll just stay here with you until you are ready."

"I love you," she tried to smile at him but couldn't stop the yawn that forced its way out. "How can I be sleepy again?" she whined even as she nestled back into her pillows.

"How can you _not_ be after all you've been through?" Edward leaned down to pull her covers around her as she settled. "Comfortable?"

"I'd be more comfortable if you were in here with me," she teased even as her eyes closed. "But, yes, I suppose this is comfortable enough… for now. Thanks."

"Love you," he said as he kissed her cheek.

"Love you," she answered almost inaudibly as she fell asleep.

Edward watched her for several minutes, trying to make his body calm down. Fuck! They just had no control around each other. When he was sure she was sleeping deeply he walked out to find his dad. He was told that Dr. Cullen was on rounds which made him feel a little guilty about how much time his father had spent away from his usual hospital duties the last few days. He decided not to trouble him and called his mom instead.

Esme had returned home and was already planning a shopping trip with Alice to get a few things Bella might like. She told Edward that Rene and Charlie had left the hospital somberly after agreeing that Bella should stay with them for the time being. Edward was relieved there wasn't going to be a fight to bring Bella home with him and thanked his mom again for sticking up for her.

"Rene is my oldest friend," Esme told him. "I do love her and I do believe she loves her daughter. But, she is going to have to figure a few things out for herself right now. People have been taking care of her long enough."

"You mean Bella has been taking care of her long enough," Edward put in.

"Bella is just the last in a line of people, dear," Esme sighed. "You don't know Rene like I do, but that isn't something for you to worry about. You just worry about Bella, all right? You seem to have a lot of practice at that."

The last part was delivered with a snicker and Edward actually found himself embarrassed. "Mom!" he exclaimed, the laughter coming through the phone only making it worse. "I love you mom, but I think I'm going to hang up now."

The rest of the afternoon Bella slept soundly and Edward surprised himself by falling asleep in the chair by her bed for several hours. By the time the nurse delivered her dinner tray Bella was just starting to open her eyes.

"My mouth feels like I've been chewing up cotton balls," she moaned, pulling herself into a sitting position.

"That's funny, you hair looks a little like chewed up cotton balls right now," Edward teased.

"Shut up, ass-hole," she muttered with a glare.

"Grumpy shrew," he muttered back, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "How did you sleep?"

"You tell me. Weren't you here the whole time?"

"Most of it but I, uh, kind of fell asleep in the chair."

Bella smiled. "Good, you probably needed it. But, why didn't you just crawl in with me?"

"Because then neither of us would have gotten any rest," he smirked, leaning in to kiss her again. This time he lingered at her lips and slipped his tongue just passed her teeth. "Hmm… I don't taste any cotton balls…"

Bella laughed and shoved him off of her. "You're still an ass-hole."

A throat cleared in the doorway and they turned to see Carlisle standing just inside the room trying to look as if he hadn't heard them. "I have a feeling I'm going to have to start knocking a lot louder," he said.

Bella blushed and glared at Edward as if to say it was his fault they got caught. The fact he looked completely unrepentant and even winked at her didn't help.

"So," she started, attempting to sound casual. "Do you know if you are going to discharge me yet?"

"It doesn't look like this dinner tray has been touched much, young lady," Carlisle replied with a raised brow.

"Oh, I was just… um… waking up," Bella tried to ignore the blush that was flaming her cheeks. "I'm going to eat right now."

"You are?" Edward suddenly jumped up from the chair and grabbed the tray for her.

"You don't have to act so shocked," Bella rolled her eyes.

"I'm happy, baby… not shocked."

"So, if I eat do I get out of here?" she asked Carlisle hopefully.

"One step at a time, Bella," he told her. "But I think there is a good chance… _if_ you eat."

"Nice job with the coercion, dad," Edward beamed at him.

Carlisle tried to hide his smirk. "I don't know what you mean, son."

"Ok, ok, I'm eating!" Bella insisted, reaching for the fork and taking a bite of the salad that was next to a plate of turkey and mash potatoes.

"Seriously?" Edward gaped "You move right passed the real food and go for the lettuce?"

"Ever heard of vitamins?" Bella shot back at him. "Greens are healthy!"

"Dad, that doesn't count." Edward whined. "Make her eat real food."

Bella shot him a glare but stabbed a piece of meat and shoved it in her mouth. "You are such a pain in the ass," she muttered with her mouth full.

Edward just smiled smugly and decided to hold off on a retort about her obsession with his ass until his dad was out of the room.

"Excuse me, Dr. Cullen," a nurse suddenly peaked in from the hallway. "There is a visitor here for Miss Swan and I wasn't sure if…"

"Still no visitors other than family, please" Carlisle said kindly. "I'm sure her classmate will understand."

"Yes, doctor, but I don't think this is a classmate," the nurse explained. "And she is very… insistent. Actually, she is begging, sir."

"Begging to see me?" Bella asked, swallowing a second bite of turkey. "Who is it?"

The nurse looked at Carlisle and waited for his nod before replying. "She said her name was Leah and she asked me to beg you to let her see you for just a minute."

"Leah?" both Bella and Edward said at the same time as they looked at each other in surprise.

Carlisle looked apprehensive as his mind flashed back to Bella's account earlier that day and how much stress it had placed on her. "I'm not sure that is such a good idea," he told both Bella and the nurse.

"But, I think I'd like to see her," Bella replied, taking another bite of food in hopes of proving she was fine. "I think I'd actually feel better if I could see that Leah was all right."

Carlisle nodded reluctantly and followed the nurse out to speak with Leah. He wanted to be sure she was here for a friendly visit only before allowing her into Bella's room. That young lady had been upset more than enough for one day.

A few moments later the door was opened again and Leah came cautiously inside. Her head had a wide bandage wrapped completely around it that plastered her dark hair against the sides of her face, but she looked well in every other respect. She entered the room timidly at first. When she saw Bella sitting up in the hospital bed with Edward standing next to her, though, she seemed to run to the bed almost as if she was afraid something was going to stop her.

"Bella!" she explained in relief coming to a sudden stop. "I've been trying to get them to let me in to see you. Are you all right?"

Edward had stepped back some when Leah rushed forward and Bella shared a curious look with him over Leah's shoulder. "Yeah, I'm OK, Leah. I think they are going to let me out of here soon," Bella told her. "How are you? I was really worried when I saw you hit your head…"

"You have got to be the stupidest, most reckless person on the planet!" Leah suddenly snapped at her.

"What?" Bella asked in surprise.

"What were you thinking?" Leah raised her voice, leaning forward slightly to peer right into Bella's face. "Going to that cabin?… Trying to warn me?… Standing up to Jacob when you knew what he was like?… That has got to be the dumbest, most irresponsible, careless thing anyone has ever done!" Before Bella could even respond, Leah suddenly threw her arms around Bella's neck and squeezed her tightly. "Thank you," she said, choking up. "Thank you! I'll never be able to thank you enough for being so stupid."

"Um, OK," Bella said lamely patting Leah's back with her good arm and giving Edward a dumbfounded expression.

Leah was actually choking back tears now and Edward decided he should give them a few minutes of privacy. Bella nodded to him over Leah's shaking shoulder as he motioned towards the door. The movement brought Leah upright slowly, as she wiped furiously at her tears in embarrassment. Her eyes moved to followed Edward as he exited the room before she looked back at Bella.

"You're boyfriend's really hot," she stated matter-of-factly as she sniffed away her remaining tears.

"I think so," Bella said with a smile, biting her lip to keep from giggling at the random comment.

"I can't believe I thought you'd ever go for Jacob," Leah muttered.

Bella held her tongue, remembering that Leah _had_ been interested in Jacob at one time.

"I'm sorry he hurt you," she said instead.

Leah nodded. "I'm sorry he hurt you twice. And I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you tried to warn me. Why didn't you just let me get what I had coming to me after the way I acted."

"Leah!" Bella said sternly. "You did not have anything coming to you! How can you say that?"

Leah shrugged.

"You had faith in a friend," Bella sighed. "Unfortunately, he betrayed that faith, but that doesn't change the fact you were just trying to be a good friend."

"I feel so stupid, Bella," Leah muttered.

"Yeah," Bella said softly, "I know exactly have you feel."

"But you stood up to him."

"Not at first. Shit, if I had done things differently… not been so ashamed to begin with….? I don't know. Just, maybe things would have been different." But Bella remembered her father's reaction when she finally had told him; and her mother's lack of reaction. "Or, maybe nothing would have been different. We just can't know."

"But you stood up to him when it counted the most."

"So did you, Leah! You hit him and got him off of me so I could get away. You fought back!"

Leah smiled for the first time since entering the room. "We both fought back," she said, "And we got the motherfucker, didn't we?"

"My dad says he's in custody being charged right now," Bella nodded.

"Do you think it will be enough to have him locked up for awhile?"

"I don't know, but I hope so. I'm going to do whatever I can to help make sure they throw the book at him."

"Me too," Leah said with renewed determination. To Bella surprise she suddenly grabbed her hand in both of hers. "I promise you're not going to have to do this one alone, Bella. I'll back you up all the way."

Bella found herself smiling in return. It seemed she'd made a true friend in Leah now. How fucking weird was that?

When Leah finally left the room a few minutes later she noticed Edward waiting just outside and winked at him.

"Take good care of her, Mr. Gorgeous," she said with a smile. "She's strong, but she's been through hell."

Edward was far too stunned to say anything in returned. He walked back into Bella's room trying to decide if he was more shocked from the name she'd called him or the fact that Leah Clearwater had just given him advice on how to treat Bella.

"What the hell's the matter with you?" Bella asked with a laugh when she noticed the look of consternation on his face.

"Baby, does it ever feel to you like the universe is trying to turn on its head."

"Pretty much every day this week," Bella nodded. "So, did you find your dad out there?"

Forgetting Leah for the moment, Edward grinned. "Nope! But one of the nurses found me with a message from him asking if you'd like to take a shower first or just get the fuck out of this place."

"Out of this place!" Bella beamed, already starting to pull her covers back.

"Really? I kind of hoped to help with the shower," Edward teased. "But, I suppose you can always take one at my house."

Bella laughed and flashed him a happy smile. "Who know, you might just get lucky."

"Well, hell! Let's get you out of here, then!"

When the nurse came with the wheel chair just 30 minutes later, Bella was already tapping her foot impatiently.

"I could have walked out of here on my own 20 minutes ago," she grumbled to Edward, but the grin on her face showed her good mood.

She had put on a loose pair of jeans and a blue, hooded sweat shirt that Alice had brought for her. Her awkward sling had been discarded, to her delight, but only after she had promised she would still be careful to favor that arm.

"What's this I hear about your dissatisfaction with our fine hospital?" Carlisle asked, walking into the room behind the nurse.

Bella knew he was teasing, but she still felt the need to clarify. "It's the best hospital on earth, but there is still one place I'd rather be." Turning serious for a moment she added. "Thank you for taking me in and letting me stay with your family, Carlisle. You've no idea what it means to me."

"Taking you in?" Carlisle smiled back. "Young lady, don't you know we had to fight to get you?"

She knew he was trying to lighten the subject for her own comfort, but it still felt good to be told she was wanted.

That feeling only intensified when they arrived at the Cullen's house a short while later. Edward wanted to carry Bella from Carlisle's car up the front steps, but Bella insisted she had been still for too long. They finally compromised with a promise that Edward would carry her up the stairs to the second floor when the time came.

The house was dim when they first walk into the foyer. The sun was just starting to set but all the lights were off in the house.

"Where is everyone?" Bella asked, clinging to Edward's arm as they walked towards the living room. She wasn't quite as steady on her feet as she had thought she'd be.

Instead of answering, Carlisle walked in behind them and turned on the light revealing dozens of colorful balloons scattered around the room and at least three poster boards signs reading, _Welcome Home, Bella!_

"Surprise!" Alice exclaimed loudly as she suddenly bounded through the kitchen door and dashed across the dining room to them.

"It's not her birthday, you know?" Emmett teased as he followed her out of the kitchen with Rosalie on his arm.

"But it is a celebration," Alice sang as she continued to dance across the room until she could throw her arms around Bella's neck. "Welcome home, Bells!"

You really couldn't help but smile when Alice went into ultra-enthusiasm mode. She looked ready for a party in a short sun-dress, with her hair pinned up at the sides. The coffee table was covered with snacks and a cake that looked like it could feed most of their Junior class.

"For heaven's sake, don't knock her off her feet," Esme chided gently from the kitchen doorway.

Bella put her arm around Alice's back, the other still touching Edward's waist. She felt a little overwhelmed by so much sudden attention, but only in a good way.

"What is all of this, Al?"

"Your homecoming, silly," Alice said as she released her. "I wanted to invite everyone from school, but dad said it would be too much for you right now."

Bella really loved Carlilse at that moment. "Alice, you didn't have to do all of this…"

"Oh, it wasn't just me!" she enthused, pulling Bella by the hand. "We all did it together."

"I even helped!" Emmett bragged with his wide grin.

Rosalie smacked his chest lightly. "If by 'helped' you mean testing all the snacks then, yes, babe, you helped a lot."

"And I can assure you, Bells, they are all excellent," Emmett declared, puffing out his chest proudly.

Bella suddenly let go of Edward and Alice to walk gingerly across the room. Rosalie just had enough time to step back before Bella was wrapping both of her arms around Emmett's solid waist and burying the side of her face against his big chest.

"What's all this for?" Emmett asked, hugging her back.

"You are the best big brother anyone could ever have," Bella said, her voice muffled in his shirt. "And I'm officially claiming you as mine forever. Thank you."

Her voice choked up at the end and Emmett patted her back. "What kind of drugs did you give her, dad?" he teased. "And did she bring a doggy bag home to share?"

"I'm not on any pain pills, you big dork," Bella laughed, pulling back slightly. "I just haven't had a chance to thank you yet for finding me and Edward before we froze to death."

"I didn't think you remembered any of that."

"I don't remember much," Bella admitted, biting her lip. "But I remembered you being there and, as Edward put you, you saved both our asses."

Emmett laughed. "Well, it's not like he was going to leave you to go get help or anything sensible like that."

"Hell no!" Edward agreed from across the room. "Even if I could have pulled myself up from the ledge, which you know I couldn't because you had to haul my ass up yourself."

"Well, you might have thought to get help before you jumped onto a ledge where you'd be stuck, Bro. But, that's OK, because I like getting to be the hero," Emmett teased, throwing his arm around Bella's shoulders to hug her to his side.

"So, what are you saying, Emmett?" Rosalie chimed in before Bella could jump to Edward's defense. "That you would have left _me _alone and hurt on the side of the mountain if it was the _sensible_ thing to do?"

"Shit," Emmett cursed under his breath before turning to smile at his girlfriend. "No way, Rosie. No way in hell!"

"Kids, I have an announcement to make," Esme said brightly, patting Emmett's shoulder affectionately as she walked to the center of the room. "We are going to have a swear jar in this house starting tomorrow. One dollar for every curse word, and two dollars for the 'F' word. Isn't that a wonderful idea?"

Everyone looked down guiltily, even Bella and Rosalie, as they agreed to the new plan.

"There goes my gas money," Emmett finally admitted, making everyone laugh.

The rest of the evening was peaceful and fun. Everyone gathered around the cake and snacks in the living room, just laughing and telling Bella again how happy they were she was safe. When Bella asked Alice where Jasper was she said he would be over tomorrow to say hi, but Bella got the impression that Alice had asked him not to come over tonight so she could focus on just Bella being home. It wasn't really necessary, but it was clear Alice was trying to make up for her 'Jasper-centered' attitude earlier in the week.

When the time came for Rosalie to go home, her father having become even stricter with her now, Bella stood up from the couch to give her a hug.

"I'm not sure we make the best partners in crime, girl," Rosalie told her as she hugged her back. "But I'm glad you are OK… and I'd still have your back any time."

"Same here," Bella told her. "We can even ask Leah to come the next time we go looking for trouble, now that she's being pretty cool about everything."

Rosalie surprised her by agreeing, "I'm pretty sure that chick has some serious claws. We'll definitely bring her along next time."

"What about me?" Alice jumped up, looking almost offended.

"Who do you think we are expecting to find the trouble, Al?" Bella was teasing, but her reply seemed to make Alice happy.

Carlisle and Esme walked Rosalie to the door and then announced they were turning in for the night. Carlisle went back into doctor mode first, though, and reminded his children that Bella still needed her rest.

"I suppose we can save the movie marathon for tomorrow," Emmett announced after his parents had gone down the hall to their room. "Guess I'll go up and grab a shower."

"Hey, wait a minute! Ladies first." Alice protested. "I need to wash my make-up off and Bella is the recovering patient so she should have dibs on the hot water. Plus, Edward hasn't been home since yesterday afternoon so…"

"No fair!" Emmett whined. "I won't have any hot water left at all."

Bella saw Edward's face suddenly brighten. "No, Edward," she cut him off just as he was about to speak. "We are not going to 'conserve water' together."

"Huh?" Alice looked at the two of them, clearly confused.

Emmett caught her meaning right away, however, if the roar of his laughter was any indication.

"Fine," Edward pretended to pout as his brother slapped him on the back and laughed even harder.

Alice still didn't get the joke, but she rolled her eyes at the guys anyway and started herding Bella upstairs.

"You were supposed to wait for me," Edward protested as he caught up with them half way to the landing.

"Edward, I can walk up a flight of stairs by myself," Bella said impatiently, although she did hold the railing a little tighter than usual.

"Oh shit! What was I thinking?" Alice exclaimed. "You just got out of the hospital! Edward, don't just stand there. Pick her up!"

"Don't you think you are going a little overboard?" Bella asked even as she looped her arms around Edward so he could lift her more easily and laid her head comfortably on his shoulder.

"Stop being difficult," he told her.

"Stop being a nag," she told him back.

"Just take her strait to the hall bathroom, Edward," Alice instructed. "I'll take it from there."

"But, I want to help," he whined playfully, earning a swat on the back of his head from his sister and a 'shut up' from his girlfriend.

When Bella had finally shooed Alice out of the bathroom, having convinced her she wasn't going to slip on the tile and give herself another concussion, she stepped into the steamy shower and let the hot water wash over her. She didn't forget that others were waiting, but she couldn't help taking just a moment to savor the relaxing sensation. Of course, her mind started wandering almost instantly to another time when she'd showered in this room earlier in the week. Damn, a lot had happened since then! Still, she remembered the exciting feeling of knowing Edward was standing in the room while she washed herself just behind this curtain and the way she had teased him … which reminded her that he still had her panties and she still needed to pay him back for that.

The object of her thoughts was waiting just outside the door when she exited the bathroom wrapped in a large towel. Noticing his pleased expression, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Just what are you smiling at?" she asked.

"I was just waiting for my turn in the shower," Edward told her innocently, although his gaze hadn't quite made it to her eyes yet.

"I don't know how much hot water is left," she teased.

Edward ran the back of his hand down her bare chest and caught a drop of water just before it dripped into her cleavage. "I seriously don't think I'll be needing any," he replied in a deep whisper that made her body shiver in a way that had nothing to do with cold.

Fuck, how did he have this effect on her? Her breath was speeding up along with his as he backed her slowly against the wall. Before he had a chance to settle his mouth on hers, though, she thought quickly enough to grab his hand and pull him back into the relative privacy of the bathroom. They were kissing before he had even closed the door and she only just heard the sound of the lock clicking into place when Edward lifted her completely off the ground and slammed his body against hers.

Bella couldn't help the almost guttural groan that escaped when she felt him already hard and pressing against her perfect spot.

The towel couldn't have come off if she wanted it to, their bodies were pressed so tightly together against the wall, but Edward's hand quickly moved under the edge of it so she could feel his warm fingers against her smooth skin. She groaned again and tried to bring her leg up enough to encourage his hand to wander more. Her arms were on his shoulders, bracing her body and giving her just enough leverage so she could pull herself even closer. Edward didn't need much encouragement. He moved his hand to the inside of her thigh and caressed her even higher until he could feel her downy curls against the back of his hand. Bella gasped, which gave Edward a perfect angle to thrust his tongue in her mouth just as he pressed his hand harder against her core.

Instant sensation overload! Holy, holy shit!

The only sound she could make was a sort of mewing whimper from deep in her throat as she sucked hard on Edwards tongue and rocked her hips against the back of his hand. The feeling was fucking incredible!

Edward grasped her bare hips under the towel, temporarily removing contact against the wetness between her legs. Before Bella could cry out her protest, he pulled her flush against him just as his pelvis slammed her harder against the wall. She felt his solid erection make contact with her aroused core and it was as if the thin cotton barrier of his pants didn't even exist.

"Bella!" Edward cried out as he rocked against her again; and then again even harder. "Fuck! Bella…"

Her mouth now free, Bella pressed her lips to his shoulder and bit into the fabric of his shirt to keep from screaming. He quickly yanked her head back with his hand, though, so he could kiss her again. The action caused her to slip down to the floor where she barely kept her balance on her bare feet. She recovered quickly, though, wrapping her arms around his middle and kneading his back almost frantically with her fingers.

Edward would have tried to push her towel down if he could get either of them to step apart for even a second, but that seemed impossible. Bella was already tugging at his shirt, trying to pull it over his head so she could feel his bare skin against her. She was just about to rip the material when Edward drew back.

"Baby… baby, slow down a second," he panted.

"Why?" Bella panted back, trying to grab his lips in another kiss.

Edward held her away from him just slightly so she leaned against the wall, and lowered his mouth to her neck. "So, I can do this," he told her as he carefully slid his hand between her legs again and stroked upwards until he was caressing her curls.

Bella gasped and closed her eyes, resting her head against the wall as Edward slowly slipped one finger passed her outer folds.

"You're so wet," he whispered into the skin of her bare shoulder.

Bella rolled her hips into his hand. "That's what you do to me," she whispered back to him, trying to control her breathing.

His finger found her clit and stroked it softly, causing Bella's whole body to quiver. He kept flicking it lightly in time with the rocking of her hips and she soon found herself barely able to breath at all.

"Oh, fuck, Edward," she whimpered.

"What baby," Edward kissed behind her ear. "Tell me."

"Oh, shit… so good…"

"Does that feel good, Bella?"

"Ah… yes… Edward…" she replied grateful for the wall holding her up.

Edward moved his lips to hers and kissed her once before whispering against them. "I want to try something, but tell me if you want me to stop. OK?"

"Huh?" Bella panted. "OK?"

Edward moved his finger away from her clit but quickly replaced it with his thumb, keeping up the same rhythm. He stroked two fingers along her slit, feeling the moisture pooling there, and rubbed from front to back. After a few moments of focusing on her clit again, he finally slid one finger back to her opening and gently pressed it inside. When she didn't protest, he slipped it in further and started to move it in and out just slightly.

Bella arched her back and cried out in pleasure but all Edward could focus on at that moment was how incredibly… unbelievably… small she was. How the hell was he ever going to keep from hurting her?

"Edward," she whimpered, her teeth biting into his shoulder as he held her trembling body against him. She could feel his caress inside of her and with the way his thumb relentlessly teased her clit she was certain she would fall apart in any moment. "Oh, fuck, I'm gonna die."

"Not exactly," he assured her just a moment before he felt her walls contract around his finger.

Holy shit, he hadn't quite expected _that_! That had to be the hottest fucking thing in the entire world!

Bella bit his shoulder even harder as the tremors rocked her body and she pulsed around Edward's hand. Even after they had stopped she still found it difficult to catch her breath or stand up on her own. Her legs felt like jelly and she let Edward just rock her slowly in his arms while she recovered.

That was definitely like nothing else she'd experienced before. Not even like what she'd experienced with him before. It was hard to believe it was going to get even better.

"Are you OK?" Edward asked softly, unable to hold his concern in any longer.

"I'm pretty sure I did just die," she replied. "But, I'm definitely OK."

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Bella tilted her head back to look at him lazily. "You worry too much. And you definitely didn't hurt me. However…"

"What?" Edward asked, his concern still evident.

"However," Bella continued as she stepped free of his arms. "Now, I need another shower."

"Oh. Right." Edward chuckled in nervous relief as he watched her move across the room and pull the shower curtain back. When she bent over to adjust the water, the towel road up to show the curve of her ass. Fuck! As if he wasn't hard as stone already. Swallowing twice, he turned to face the wall again. "Emmett's probably waiting so maybe I should go tell him that…"

"Edward…" Bella interrupted him in a soft voice. "I never said you had to turn around."

"W-what?" he stammered, unmoving.

"You can face the wall if you want to," she went on, knowing damn well he had heard her. "Or…."

"Um, or what?"

His answer came when her towel suddenly landed at his feet.


	26. Pillow Talk

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

* * *

_**AN: Good news! I have graduated! Obviously this is exciting for me for several reasons, but it also means I now have more time to write! The last six months have been especially hard and I apologize that the number of updates has suffered. All that is over, though, and you can look for much faster updating from now on!**_

Enemy Mine

Chapter 26: "Pillow Talk"

"_Edward…" Bella interrupted him in a soft voice. "I never said you had to turn around."_

"_W-what?" he stammered, unmoving._

"_You can face the wall if you want to," she went on, knowing damn well he had heard her. "Or…"_

"_Um, or what?"_

_His answer came when her towel suddenly landed at his feet._

Edward froze, feeling the blood pounding in his ears, which was surprising considering he didn't think he could have any blood left in that part of his anatomy at the moment. The clinking sound of the shower curtain shook him out of his temporarily stunned state and his feet started to turn before he even registered what he was doing. His head quickly following, craning to look over his shoulder as he spun just in time to see the back of Bella as she stepped into the tub.

Hearing his movement, she shot him a coy look over her shoulder that was part innocence and all sexy. Her pale skin was still damp and the water splashed down her arms as she moved to pull the curtain closed behind her.

"Maybe next time you'll turn around faster," she teased him in a tempting tone.

"Holy shit, you have a beautiful ass," Edward exclaimed, nearly collapsing against the wall behind him.

"Thank you," Bella said, clearly amused. "I'm rather fond of yours too."

"I'd be happy to return the favor," he offered eagerly, his fingers already moving to the button on his jeans.

"As much as I'd like that, we still aren't going to conserve water together. At least, not this time."

"But maybe another time?" Edward clarified. Well that was joyous news to hear!

Bella laughed now as she quickly washed under the warm water. Damn, he was too fun to tease. "The future has many options for us, Edward."

Well, shit! Now he was grinning like an idiot. She was just saying all the right things tonight.

"Do you even know how happy you make me, baby?" he blurted out suddenly.

"Edward," Bella laughed again. "Why is it you always say the sweetest things when I'm naked in the shower?"

"I don't know, but I'd be glad to help you investigate that further."

"I'll keep that in mind," she said, still laughing. "Unfortunately, I actually am a little tired right now. But don't tell your dad I admitted to that."

Worry was suddenly competing with the lust in Edward's mind. "What is it, sweetheart? Are you OK?"

"Let's just say you have me thoroughly relaxed," she confessed, biting her lip and feeling grateful for the curtain that was hiding her blush. "And I think I'm ready to lie down for awhile."

"I'll go get Alice to help you."

"No, no, I'm fine," she assured him as she turned the water off and reached through the curtain for a fresh towel.

When she pulled the curtain back again she had the towel secured around herself and let Edward take her hand as she stepped out onto the tile. Keeping hold of his hand, Bella raised up on her toes to give him a warm kiss.

"The shower's all yours," she told him after pulling away slowly.

"It will be lonely without you," he confessed. "But it is also going to be extremely cold."

Bella actually felt a little guilty. "Sorry about that."

Edward squeezed her hand. "I'll let you make it up to me."

To his surprise she actually nodded her head as she started to leave. "Oh, I will."

"Damn, baby," Edward groaned at the implications of her words. "You gotta quit doing that."

Bella walked into the hall with a smirk on her face. She really couldn't help herself. The smirk was still in place when she walked into Alice's room.

"What's this?" Bella asked, noticing a pair of blue and green boxers and a large, white T-shirt on the twin bed where she slept.

"Those are Edward's," Alice announced from where she sat painting her toenails on her own bed. "I snagged them while I was helping my mom fold the laundry this afternoon."

"OK. So, why are they here?" Bella asked as she sat on the bed.

Alice shrugged. "Well, you always sleep in my stuff when you stay over…"

"You never seemed to mind."

"Oh, I don't mind!" Alice assured her, looking up from her toes. "But, you're his girlfriend now. You should be borrowing _his_ stuff. It's your right."

"My right?" Bella questioned; her smirk back in place.

"Damn right!" Alice insisted, shaking the polish brush at Bella like a lecturing professor. "A girlfriend is entitled to any part of her boyfriend's wardrobe that she wants to take. It's just how it works."

Bella held up the boxers. "Any part, huh?"

"Oh, he won't mind."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"Trust me. Put them on and you'll see what I mean."

She actually liked the idea of wearing Edward's clothes to bed so she quickly changed into them to test Alice's theory. They were way too big, of course, and the boxers just managing to hang on her hips enough to stay up. But they were soft and comfortable. Too bad they smelled more like fabric softener and less like the person they belonged to.

"Damn, that so weird!" Alice exclaimed.

"What?" Bella asked, relieved when she turned and saw the smile on Alice's face.

"Just… you wearing Edward's stuff. You being Edward's girlfriend. I mean, don't get me wrong! I'm cool with it; I really am. It just isn't going to stop being weird for awhile."

"I get it," Bella smiled back, sitting on the bed again. "You know what is really strange about this?"

"What?"

"How much it _doesn't_ feel weird to us. And it never did. Not even at first."

Alice scrunched up her face in concentration. "Then what the hell took so long? Why the years of torture?"

"Oh, we aren't done torturing each other. In fact, it's only more fun now," Bella's eyes sparkled mischievously. "And, speaking of torturing your brother, you wouldn't want to help me out with a little pay back, would you?"

"Payback against Edward?"

When Bella nodded, Alice started to laugh. "Oh, hell! What has he done now?"

"Nothing too offensive but, like I said, it's still fun. And, besides, just because I'm his girlfriend doesn't mean I can start letting him get away with shit now."

"Of course not!" Alice agreed. "And to think I worried things weren't going to be as fun now that you two are a couple."

"You worried about that?"

Alice shrugged. "I just don't want us to drift apart, Bells."

"Don't be silly," Bella rolled her eyes. "Besides, you have Jasper."

"Yeah," Alice's face fell. "And this probably seems hypocritical now, considering how I acted before. But... I guess I just wonder if it is going to always be me and Jasper, and you and Edward now. You know what I mean? No more Alice and Bella."

"Well, I don't see Jasper or Edward here right now."

"True."

"And I really can't see Jasper going sale shopping with you, or Edward tagging along for a book signing with me. Not to mention, can you see Emmett going to a spa day with Rosalie?"

Both girls laughed out loud at that thought.

"He's not tough enough to handle a waxing," Alice giggled.

"No guy is _that _tough!"

A knock at the door was followed by Edward's defensive voice. "I'm that tough!" he protested. "Tough enough for what?"

"Come in," Alice yelled back.

The door opened and Edward stood there wearing a pair of sleep pants without a shirt. He was still rubbing a towel through his damp hair and Bella's eyes darted between his bare chest and the movement of his fit arms. Damn, she really had a thing for his arms!

"OK, now, what was I saying I'm tough enough for?"

Both girls started giggling hysterically.

"Shit, why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret saying that?" Edward smiled, feeling relieved to see both Bella and Alice happy again, but his smile fell suddenly when he saw what Bella was wearing. "Are those mine?"

Bella stood up and turned once for him. "They don't exactly fit, but they are comfy. Why? Is it a problem?"

"Hell, yeah, it's a problem. Don't you know what it does to a guy to see his girlfriend wearing his clothes?" Edward asked, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her waist. "It's an extreme turn-on, baby…"

"Ah! Ugh! Sister in the room!" Alice screeched as Edward leaned down and started kissing Bella's neck. "I didn't need to hear that!"

Bella twisted in Edward's arms to face her best friend. "It was your idea to begin with, Al."

"I said he wouldn't mind! I didn't say I wanted to see his appreciation. Now, cut that out!"

Edward and Bella were both laughing at her now and Edward kept his arms wrapped around Bella from behind.

"So, why are we laughing?" Emmett asked, suddenly charging into the room, glancing and Edward and Bella as he passed to sit down in Alice's desk chair. "Bella's already stealing Edward's clothes, I see. Nice! So, is that why we're laughing? Because if it's at Edward's expense, I want in on it."

"We were actually discussing the extent of _your_ bravery, Emmett," Alice informed him. "Before Edward came in, that is."

"Well, hell! I'm brave enough for anything you got," Emmett boasted, which caused both girls to look at each other and burst out laughing again.

"What?" Emmett asks. "Why is that funny?"

"I have a feeling we don't want to know, Em," Edward told him.

Bella turned her face to grin up at Edward and he gave her a wink.

Emmett shrugged. "So, movie marathon tomorrow?" he confirmed, changing the subject.

"I still want to have a proper party for Bella, but dad says no," Alice complained.

"When don't you want to have a party?" Edward teased. "We just had one less than a week ago."

"I think a movie marathon sounds nice," Bella agreed. "But we should have Rosalie and Jasper over too. Don't you think?"

Alice smiled. "Whatever you want, Bells."

"Sounds like a plan," Emmett enthused, jumping up from the chair. "Just nothing too early. Spring Break is almost over and we've got to sleep in all we can before school starts again. I'm gonna go give Rosie a call." Heading towards the door, he called over his shoulder. "Stay the fuck out of my Red Bull in the morning, Bells!"

"You know that shit tastes like ass, Em," she yelled back.

"Damn, Edward, your girlfriend's got a dirty mouth." Emmett just managed to dodge the pillow that flew at him as he left, not certain which one of them threw it.

"So, you really don't mind?" Bella turned to ask Edward after Emmet had left.

"You sleeping in my clothes? Hell, no, I don't mind."

"Told you!" Alice declared triumphantly as she went back to painting her toes. "Now, get lost, Edward. We are having girl time here."

"Hey!" Edward started to protest at being kicked out.

"Plus," Alice interrupted. "Mom is coming up to check on Bella and tell us good night soon."

"How do you know? I thought they went to bed already."

Alice sighed. "It's a mom/daughter thing. Trust me."

"You probably should go to your own room," Bella told him. Reaching up to kiss his cheek she brushed her mouth across his ear and whispered, "I'll join you soon." She let her hand trailed down his bare chest to his stomach before stepping away from him.

"Fine," Edward fought back his grin and gave her a quick peck before stepping towards the door.

"Night, Edward!" Alice called without looking up.

"Night, brat!" he called back.

Alice's prediction proved correct when Esme came up the stairs a few minutes later. She had her long, emerald robe tied around her but didn't have the look of someone who had been asleep.

"How are my girls?" she asked as she stepped through the open door and closed it behind her.

Bella saw Esme's eye crinkle in amusement when she took in what Bella was wearing but, thankfully, she didn't comment.

"We're fine, mom," Alice answered. "We are talking about having Jasper and Rosalie over for a movie marathon tomorrow afternoon."

"That sounds like a nice idea," Esme responded as she sat next to Bella on the bed. "A relaxing day inside will be good for everyone; especially you," she added, wrapping her arm around Bella and giving her a squeeze. "What time are your friends coming over?"

"Well, Emmett wants his beauty rest, so not till after 1:00 at least," Alice joked. "Why? Does it matter?"

Esme didn't answer right away and, when she did, she turned to Bella. "It's just that… I was just speaking to your mother, dear."

"Oh," Bella said, not knowing how else to reply. "Is she OK?"

"Yes. She was just wondering how _you_ are doing."

"_She_ called you?"

"Yes, she did."

Bella nodded, trying to decide how she felt about that. She was glad her mother called, but she felt guilty for worrying her.

"Are you OK, Bells?" Alice asked, looking at her with concern.

Bella bit her lip, resisting her usual reaction to just tell them she was fine. "I guess. It's just… I really like being here with you guys. But, I don't like the idea of making my parents sad."

"I thought you were mad at them," Alice questioned.

"I am!" Bella peaked around Esme to look at her best friend. "But, I still love them."

"Of course you do, dear," Esme wrapped her in a hug. "And I understand you are worried about them. For one thing, it is just part of your nature, Bella."

"Mom's right about that!" Alice joined in.

"What did you and my mom talk about?"

"Well," Esme hesitated. "She wanted to know how I thought you would feel about her coming over to see you tomorrow." When Bella didn't reply, she added. "Just your mom, dear. If you are feeling up to it, we could have her join the three of us for a little ladies brunch."

"I thought dad didn't want anything stressing her out," Alice questioned again.

"He doesn't. None of us do," Esme confirmed. "So, if it is going to be too stressful for you, Bella, just say so. We can always plan something at another time when you feel more up to it."

"I guess it would be OK if she came over for a little while," Bella hesitated. "But, what does she want to talk about?"

"Are you worried she's going to try to convince you to come home?"

Bella shrugged. "I _really_ like being here, Esme."

"We like having you here, dear."

Alice nodded emphatically.

"I'm glad," Bella smiled. "It just feels right being here. But, at the same time, I miss my parents. I'm angry at them, but I miss them. Isn't that messed up?"

"Actually, no," Esme told her, smoothing back her damp hair. "What your parents did was a betrayal of your trust in them. Of course you feel angry about that; and hurt. But that doesn't take away all the love you have for them. In fact, because you love them you are probably even _more_ disappointed and hurt by what they did."

Bella just nodded and let Esme pull her closer.

"It will work out eventually. Just give it some time," she continued. "You have a big heart, Bella. Your parents are lucky they have such a loving daughter. Just remember how many people love you too, and we all want what is best for you."

"So, it's OK for you to stay here if that's what you want. It doesn't make you, like, _mean_ or anything." Alice chimed in. "Right mom?"

"Right," Esme confirmed. "We are lucky to have you for as long as we can."

"Thanks," Bella said, ducking her head. She wasn't used to letting people know how she was feeling about things and she didn't want to seem needy, but it was nice to feel wanted. On any other night at home she would be alone in her room with a book while her parents were wrapped up in their own projects or, more likely, arguing with each other. She never felt alone or in the way when she stayed at the Cullen house.

"She means it, Bella," Alice said, jumping up to join them on the narrow bed. "When you are here, the guys in the house don't out-number us. So you can never leave!"

She finished her declaration with a bear hug that knocked Bella onto her back. Esme smiled and stood up as the two of them squealed and toppled off the bed. They were both laughing on the floor by the time she made her way to the door.

"All right, girls. It may be Spring Break, but Bella is still recovering," she chided gently. "Try not to keep each other up all night."

"OK," Alice replied, still laughing loudly. "'Night, mom!"

"Goodnight, Esme," Bella said with a smile as she tried to stop herself from thinking of a different Cullen she would like to keep up all night.

"What is that guilty grin on your face for?" Alice teased in a whisper.

"Nothing," Bella said in a tone that indicated the opposite.

The beep of a text on Alice's cell saved Bella from further explanation as Alice hurried back to her bed to grab it.

"Don't forget to ask Jasper to come over tomorrow for the movie marathon," Bella called after her.

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Of course not, Al. I really like Jasper."

Alice smiled as she sent the text. "Yeah, too bad I can't stand _your_ boyfriend, Bells."

"Tell me about it," Bella sighed dramatically. "He really is such an asshole. I can't stand him myself."

"Yeah, right," Alice rolled her eyes and went back to texting.

Bella sat quieting on the bed and brushed her damp hair. She remained silent while it dried and stretched out on the bed.

"Are you going to text him all night?" she finally asked with a teasing smile.

"Am I keeping you up?" Alice asked in concern.

"Not exactly…. I just wondered when _you_ thought you might be going to sleep."

"I'm not that tired, but I can turn off the light if you want to go to sleep."

Bella bit her lip and subconsciously looked at the door. "So… you are going to be awake for awhile?"

"Wait a minute," Alice sat up and set her phone aside. "You're planning to sleep in Edward's room tonight, aren't you?"

"Well…"

"Isabella Swan, are you waiting for me to go to sleep so you can sneak into my brother's room?"

"Come on, Alice," Bella pleaded. "I'll sleep better if I'm in there with him."

"First of all, I seriously doubt Edward is thinking about sleep right now. And second," Alice sighed. "I get it."

"You do?"

"Yeah, and I should have expected it after the way you two have been acting."

"And you're not mad?"

"No, I'm not mad. Besides, I probably will be texting Jasper for another hour or two."

"At least!"

"Yeah, at least," Alice agreed with a sigh. "I just wish I was lucky enough to have _my_ guy just down the hall."

Bella grinned at her as she slipped out the door and padded down the dark hall. She could hear the distinct sounds of Call of Duty coming from Emmett's room, but the rest of the house was quiet. There was a faint light coming from the small crack in Edward's door and when she pushed it opened she could see the desk light illuminating the room in a soft glow. Without a word, Bella quickly shut the door and darted to the bed. Edward held the covers back for her to slide in beside him and covered them up together.

"What took you so long?" Edward asked as they lay on their sides facing each other.

"Alice isn't feeling very tired tonight," Bella explained. "I finally admitted I was coming in here and left her texting Jasper."

Edward rolled his eyes. "And was she right about my mom coming up to talk? I thought I heard her on the stairs."

"Oh, yes, she was right. Not much gets by Alice."

"We did."

"True," Bella scooted closer, "But we are an exception."

"To many things," Edward agreed, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her body against his. "So, what did my mom have to say? Nothing as direct as 'Please don't sneak into Edward's room' I hope."

"She actually didn't mention you at all."

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

"Did you _want_ them to set up ground rules for us?"

"Hell no! I'm just surprised they didn't."

"Well," Bella slid her hand up his bare chest, "Maybe if we aren't too obvious in front of them they won't make an issue out of it."

"Not to obvious? You mean I'm still supposed to keep my hands off of you?"

"Still no self-control, Cullen," Bella teased. "But I don't think we have to go _that_ far. Just tone it down for them."

"I can if you can," he challenged again, making her laugh.

"You're on."

"So, what _did_ mom have to say?"

"Um… well, she wanted to let me know that my mom had called to check on me. Which I thought was a good thing."

"Yeah, I agree. It's good she's concerned… but that's making you worry about her now, isn't it?"

"Damn, you know me too well. How do you do that?"

Edward shrugged. "It's just the way you are."

"I guess. Your mom told me it wasn't as messed up as I thought it was."

"What wasn't?"

"Worrying about my parents even though I'm mad at them," Bella explained. "And being happy when I'm here but feeling… guilty, I guess, for not wanting to be home."

"I don't want you to go home," Edward said in alarm.

"Don't worry; I'm not going anywhere right now." She raised her hand to his face. "But my mom is coming here for brunch tomorrow. Just for a visit."

"Do you think that's a good idea so soon?"

"Yeah, I actually do."

"Alright, then," Edward smiled. "You'd know better than anyone. And I actually have some stuff I have to take care of in the morning so we can meet up for movie marathon after your brunch."

"If Emmett is up by then," she giggled. "He's still playing the XBox right now."

"Really?" Edward leaned over her. "Then he won't be able to hear _this._"

Bella squealed as Edward began tickling her stomach and sides. After more than a decade of practiced torture, he knew all of her most sensitive spots and he went on a full attack.

"You fucking asshole!" Bella gasped around her laughter. "No fair! No fair!"

"A sneak attack is always fair," he argued, as he moved his hands along her ribs earning another squeal and a fit of giggling.

"You are so… going… to pay… for this!" she managed to say through her laughter as she rolled from side to side and kicked her legs with no results.

"What are you going to do?" Edward challenged as he gave her a momentary break to catch her breath. "You know I'm not ticklish."

"Oh, I have my ways," she promised just before she flipped him over onto his back.

"Do your worst. But you've already tried in every way and I just can't be tickled."

"I know. And that has always pissed me off," she said as she sat up to straddle his legs. "But now I have a whole new strategy."

"Bring it on."

Bella moved her hands to his jaw and trailed her finger tips down his throat. "Not ticklish here?"

"Nope."

"What about here?" she asked, tracing his collar bone.

Edward smiled. "Afraid not."

"And here?" This time Bella's fingers circled his nipples lightly.

"Fuck," he gasped.

"What was that?" she smiled, not stilling her movements. "Is that a ticklish spot?"

"If I say yes will you keep doing it?"

Bella chuckled knowingly. "I bet I can find another spot," she tempted him. Leaning forward slightly and lowering her body, she sat down so her core was pressed directly against his growing erection. "Does this tickle?" she asked in a breathy whisper as she gently rocked forward to grind against him, feeling him harden more.

A low groan was the only answer she got just before Edward flipped her over on her back and attacked her mouth. Her legs were still spread beneath him and he rubbed their bodies together as his tongue pushed in between her lips. Bella opened her mouth and drew his tongue in deeper to moan around it. The tight skin of his bare back felt warm as she slid her hands up and down before pulling him closer and kneading his shoulders. Her legs curved around his thighs, opening herself up wider as he pushed against her throbbing center. Moving her hands lower she gripped his ass just as her teeth bit down lightly on his tongue.

Edward's groan turned into a growl. He'd gone completely hard and he still couldn't get close enough to her. He managed to slip his hands between her back and the mattress so he could pull her body even more tightly against his. Bella responded by wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing him against her in return; wondering for a split second just how long they could both go without breathing.

As if in answer to her idle thought, Edward raised his head enough to part their lips but not so much that their tongues disconnected. Bella whimpered as he pulled in a ragged breath and quickly slammed his lips back on hers. She moaned in appreciation and explored the deepest recesses of his mouth, letting him suck on her tongue in the way he knew she loved. She could feel his hard length pinned between their bodies and she wondered if he could feel the dampness that was spreading between her legs. Without thinking, Bella arched her back in an attempt to press herself harder against him and relieve some of the building tension. Damn it! She just couldn't get close enough.

Edward felt Bella's body arch into his and nearly exploded on the spot. He had to slow down before he did just that but, FUCK, he didn't want to! He slid his mouth to her jaw and down her neck; tasting her skin. Her breathing was uneven and peppered with little gasps as she twisted her fingers into his soft hair.

"I love you," she said clearly, closing her eyes to just feel him against her.

Her words brought Edward's head up and he stared down at her as he tried to steady his pulse. "I love you too," he panted. "So much!"

Bella smiled at him in wonder, her chest and shoulders rising with each breath, and Edward thought his heart was literally going to stop. She was so damn beautiful and she was looking up at him like he was a fucking prince or something when she, of all people, knew him better than that. How did he get this lucky?

"_Damn'it_, I love you so _fucking_ much!" Edward exclaimed.

His choice of words amused Bella. "No shit?" she teased, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

"No shit," Edward replied, having no problem laughing at himself.

Bella giggled along with him and reached up to trace his swollen lips, her heart still pounding in her chest just from looking at him.

They stared at each other for several long seconds, trying to slow their bodies down. Edward rolled to his side and propped himself up on one arm while the other rested against her stomach. His palm rubbed the soft cotton of the T-shirt she wore, making her stomach quiver as his hand inched higher. Bella continued to look at his face as his gaze shifted to her chest and he watched his fingers dance lightly across her breast.

"So fucking soft," he whispered, stroking her gently until her nipple pebbled against the shirt.

_His_ shirt.

Cupping her gently with his palm, he ran his thumb across her hardening nipple. Bella lay her head back and closed her eyes; a sigh of contentment escaping her lips. A few seconds later it was followed by a gasp as Edward replaced his fingers with his mouth. His tongue dragged across her nipple as his lips suctioned, causing the fabric to dampen and rub against her sensitive skin. Bella hands grasped at his head, holding him to her chest as she gasped again. The friction of the damp cotton accompanied with the pull of his mouth was wonderful and sent tingles throughout her whole body.

After a few moments of bliss, Edward lifted his head and moved to her other breast. He nuzzled the supple mound with just his nose and cheek, loving the pillow-soft feel. He peppered her smooth breast with kisses until he felt her nipple poking to life and he gently took it in his mouth, repeating the attention he had given its twin.

Bella's pelvis was rocking against his leg by the time he finally lifted his head to stare down at her chest again. The T-shirt was wet from his sucking and he could faintly see her darkened nipples through the white cotton. He'd seen her bare chest before but this was some how different and deeply erotic.

"Fuck," Edward choked out, unable to find any other words at the moment.

"You make me feel… incredible," Bella whispered, her cheeks flushed and her eyes hooded. "The way you touch me... I just never imagined anything…" her voice trailed off with a breathy sigh.

"That's all I want, baby," Edward whispered in reply, placing a soft kiss to her lips. "To always make you feel that way."

"You do… always."

Edward tensed slightly at her words. Bella ran her hand down his back soothingly and looked at him in question.

"What?" she asked gently. "What is it?"

Edward shook his head and smiled. "Nothing."

"Tell me," Bella coaxed. "You're worried about something? Is it me?"

Edward shrugged.

"But I'm fine," she assured him. "Really!"

"I know, it's just…" Edward sighed in frustration and rolled away from her to his back.

Bella propped herself up on her arm and leaned over him. "It's just what?" she encouraged.

He raised his hand to brush the hair out of her face. "It's just that… I don't want to hurt you?"

"Why would you hurt me?" Bella asked with a reassuring smile as she took his hand in hers. "Honestly, Edward. We both know you'd never hurt me. Why would you even worry about that?"

"Because I _will_ hurt you."

"What are you talking about?"

"When we… well, you know. You're a virgin."

"So are you."

"That's my point," he said in concern.

Realization dawned on Bella and she felt herself blushing; not from the topic, but from taking so long to figure it out. "Oooh…" she drawled out in understanding. "I get it. You're afraid of it hurting my first time."

Edward nodded. "And the fact that I have no idea how to make it easier for you."

"I'm glad it will be the first time for both of us," she smiled tenderly.

"I am too! Believe me, baby, I wouldn't have it any other way! I just wish I was a little more prepared."

"Well," she smiled helpfully. "You don't have to worry about protection because…."

"Oh, I'm not worried about that. I know you're on the pill."

"What?"

"Bella, come on," Edward grinned at her. "You started taking the pill to regulate your periods when you were fourteen."

"Oh!... My!... No! No! No!" Bella rolled onto her back and covered her ears. "Why do you know that? You should not know that!"

Now Edward was laughing as he leaned over her. "I'm your boyfriend. It's OK that I know that stuff."

"You were not my boyfriend when I was fourteen and started … " Bella grabbed a pillow from under her head and covered her beet red face. "Damn it! How long have you known?"

"I overheard you and Alice talking about it before your mom took you in for the appointment."

"The whole time! You've known about my… that I took… Ugh! Edward Cullen, I can't believe you!" The pillow came off of her face and slammed into Edward's as Bella started hitting him with it.

Edward fell back laughing and tried to grab the pillow. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he chanted, sounding anything but remorseful. "It's not like I _wanted_ to hear about that stuff."

"Then why were you eavesdropping?" she asked, rising up on her knees to hit him with the pillow again.

Edward held his arms over his face, still laughing. "I always eavesdropped on you and Alice's conversations."

"Is that when you started… keeping an eye on me around other guys?" she suddenly wondered, pausing in her assault. "Just because you knew I was on the pill?"

"No, I had always kept an eye on you," he told her simply. "And, trust me; guys noticed you well before you were fourteen."

Bella sat back on her heals and punched the pillow in annoyance. "Damn it! You always have to go and make it impossible to stay mad at you."

"So, does that mean I'm allowed to be happy that this is one less thing we have to worry about?"

"You really are worried, Edward?" she asked, turning serious again. "If I'm not worried about our first time, you shouldn't be."

Edward's eyes grew wide. "But _I'm_ the one who could mess up and hurt you. There is _nothing_ that you could do wrong."

"Edward," Bella smiled and lay down on his chest. "There is nothing you could do wrong either. You love me. That's all that matters."

Edward wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "I do love you, Bella. But, it's not that simple."

"It is. I know it will hurt, but I also know it will be fine."

"But, what if I _really_ hurt you? You're just so… I mean, when I touched you, you were just…"

"What?"

"You're just so _small_, baby," Edward groaned in exasperation. "I'd never realized how small and tight…. And I can't imagine how I'm not going to hurt you."

Bella lay against his chest silently for a moment before raising her head with a twinkle in her eyes. "Really, Edward," she said with a smirk. "It's not _that_ big."

He was too stunned to react for several long heart beats; and then they both broke into a fit of laughter.

"I love the hell out of you… you fucking shrew!" Edward exclaimed, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

"I love the hell out of you too," she replied, rising to her knees beside him again. "And I really don't think we have that _much_ to worry about."

"You're going to pay for those words, Swan."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "Well, there is one sure way to prove me wrong, Cullen."

"Are you seriously trying to turn this into a dare so I stop worrying about it?"

"Is it working?"

Edward sat up and kissed her in response. Bella rose up higher on her knees so they were at eye level and wrapped her arms around his neck. He moved his mouth to kiss the center of her throat and grazed his lips towards her chest as she clutched his head to her.

"I want you," he spoke against her skin. "So much it makes me crazy."

"I want you too, Edward. And I'm not worried. We'll just go slow, OK?"

Edward nodded against her collar bone. "And I'll always stop if you ask me to."

"You think I don't know that?" she smiled into his hair.

"I mean it, baby," Edward tilted his head back to look into her eyes. "There's no rush. No time table we have to keep or … or goal to get to. It doesn't have to be all at once."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if we start and it hurts too much we'll stop."

"No, Edward, I want…"

"I know, baby. I don't mean we won't ever finish. I just mean, it doesn't necessarily all have to happen at the same time. Or even the same night."

"I never thought of that."

"It's just you and me. We aren't proving anything to anyone. We can take it as slow as we want; go as far as we want each time. Just promise me you'll remember that and tell me what you're feeling. I don't want you to grin and bare it, or whatever. I don't want this to be something for you to just get through."

His words seemed to drift in the air between them and suddenly Bella felt her eyes welling up with tears.

"That is honestly the kindest, sweetest… most loving thing I can even imagine you saying."

"Then why are you crying? You're not disappointed or upset with me, are you? Did I ruin the romance of it?

"Ruin the romance? Are you nuts? You couldn't _be _more romantic." Bella moved into his lap. "And, do you know why, Edward Cullen?"

"Why?" he asked, mesmerized by the feel of her against him.

"Because you truly _love_ me… like no one else ever has."

"Or ever will, sweetheart."

"I know. And I love you… more than anyone. So, please, Edward."

"What?"

"Please. Make love to me."

* * *

_**AN: **__**Remember, faster updates from now on so please don't be too upset with me for ending here! **_

_**~Alexanya**_


	27. Being With You

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to**_

_**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

* * *

_**AN: I promised faster updates, so I hope you enjoy! **_

* * *

Enemy Mine

Chapter 27 "Being With You"

_"That is honestly the kindest, sweetest… most loving thing I can even imagine you saying."_

_"Then why are you crying? You're not disappointed or upset with me, are you? Did I ruin the romance of it?_

_"Ruin the romance? Are you nuts? You couldn't __be __more romantic." Bella moved into his lap. "And, do you know why, Edward Cullen?"_

_"Why?" he asked, mesmerized by the feel of her against him._

_"Because you truly __love__ me… like no one else ever has."_

_"Or ever will, sweetheart."_

_"I know. And I love you… more than anyone. So, please, Edward."_

_"What?"_

_"Please. Make love to me."_

Edward's heart started pounding hard against his chest. "Are you sure?" he whispered, his warm breath blowing across her cheek.

"Yes," Bella whispered in return as her hands wrapped around the nap of his neck. "Like you said, it's just you and me… being together. No pressure. No agenda." She tilted her face down to breath against his lips. "So, just _be_ with me… and love me."

Bella ended her words by pressing her opened mouth firmly against Edward's and kissing him ravenously. Edward returned the kiss with equal passion; his mouth opening with hers before closing on her bottom lip. He sucked on it firmly and then ran his tongue over it as it swelled. A small whimper escaped from Bella's throat to let him know how much she enjoyed that new move.

"Like that, do you?" Edward panted against her jaw, taking her moan as agreement.

Bella was still seated on his lap and Edward carefully maneuvered her backwards until she lay flat on the mattress. He loomed over her, his hand on her thigh caressing her bare legs below the boxers. Their mouths came together in another hungry kiss, the pace slower now and more intense. She could feel the weight of his chest pressing down on her and she lifted her leg around his hip. He wasted no time slipping his hand underneath the loose boxers and cupping her firm ass; squeezing and massaging until she was moaning and arching up against him.

Their tongues stroked each others in time with the rhythm of their bodies; rocking and pulsing together as the tension built between them. Bella's hand clutched at his back to bring herself closer while the other stroked the front of his bare chest. She teased his nipple lightly and felt him buck against her in response. There was a soft dusting of hair down the center that led to his stomach and his skin was tight over his abs. She suddenly wanted to feel more of him and not just with her hands.

Pushing him off of her almost roughly, Bella crawled on top of Edward before he could even voice a protest. Surprised at the sudden change in her, he let her have control and watched as she moved her warm mouth down his chest, even rubbing the side of her cheek across his stomach before kissing his navel.

"Fuck," he breathed, leaning his head back and feeling her breath move to his hip bone.

Bella could feel the heat of Edward's hard length just below where her mouth teased him. Remembering all the attention he had paid to her earlier, she eagerly reached out to give some attention back to him. Rubbing her face along his stomach again and she reached out slowly until she just brushed the firm erection that was tenting his sleep pants.

"Holy shit, baby!" Edward nearly bucked off the bed.

"Like that, do you?" she repeated back to him with a smug smile.

Before he could answer, Bella's fingers started brushing back and forth against him again.

"Ahh… fuck!" Edward hissed through clenched teeth.

"Good," she said kissing his navel once more while her hand kept moving. "I want you to like this."

Knowing Edward he'd try to make this all about what she needed, but Bella wanted it to be good for him too.

As if reading her thoughts, Edward managed to choke out a response. "Couldn't be.. ah… anything but good with you… Oh, fuck!"

Bella stopped his talking when she slipped her hand down the front of his pants. She loved the feel of him; soft, warm flesh over a hard, thick length. She never imagined she could enjoy touching a man like this so much and, if she was honest with herself, she was actually warming up to the idea of tasting him down there too.

Damn, when did she get so bold?

She moved her hand slowly, just as she had the other day in her room, feeling the contours of his shape as she squeezed gently hoping to give him even more pleasure. Edward's arms came down to push his waist band out of her way, giving her better access and a better view. The dim light on the desk illuminated them enough for her to really see him for the first time. The trembling of his tight stomach muscles…. The way his hip bones narrowed and the line of hair that led to where she held and stroked him… Holy fuck!

Bella swallowed hard and leaned up to kiss his open mouth. Her pulse was drumming in her ears and her breathing was as hard as his. Edward pulled her down on top of him and she removed her hand to wrap her arm around his body just as he rolled them over. Their kisses were frantic now, both of them unable to control their moaning. Bell parted her legs and let Edward settle between them. He had kicked his pants off completely and she was suddenly desperate to feel more of his naked body against hers.

Edward reached down and rubbed his hand between her parted legs. Her wetness had already soaked through the boxers and the feel of it made him crazy. He cursed against her mouth and rubbed her harder causing her to gasp and buck her hips into his hand. The opening in the front of the boxers proved to be asset and Edward managed to get his fingers inside to touch her soft, damp curls that seemed to radiate a heat all their own.

Crying out, Bella grabbed his hand and held it even more firmly against her. She wasn't certain what she was asking for in that moment, only that she needed more. Edward's three fingers stroked her steadily from back to front, dancing across her overly sensitive clit each time. He pushed one finger inside her, sliding easily through her wetness as he stroked slowly in and out. Cautiously, a second finger was added and he could feel her walls stretching slightly.

"Am I hurting you, baby?" he asked in concern.

"No," Bella said, shaking her head and moving her lips across his. She could feel a little pressure but it wasn't uncomfortable.

Edward started to rotate his two fingers inside of her, trying not to focus on how unbelievably tight and warm she was. His thumb brushed against her clit and Bella jerked against him in response, taking his fingers even deeper inside her. He contemplated trying to add a third finger, but the loose boxers were sliding down with her thrashing and he pulled back to take them off of her completely. She caught on to his plan and raised her hips quickly to help him remove the barrier. When he lay back down on top of her they both moaned at the feeling of their warm, bare flesh coming together.

Bella grabbed Edward's face and brought him close for a long, deep kiss as they both tried to grasp this incredible new sensation. He could feel her wetness coating his hard length and he moved his hips cautiously to rub against her most sensitive flesh with his own.

FUCK! That was SO good!

"Oh… wow…" Bella voice was high and thin, almost like she couldn't stop the words from coming out. "More… again…"

Tilting his hips just slightly, Edward moved so the tip of his hard arousal was pressed against her opening for just a second before sliding against her folds again. He repeated the motion a second time, pressing harder so just part of the head slipped inside her. Bella gave a small cry of surprise, followed by a moan as he moved the head to stroke her clit. She wrapped her leg around his hip again, opening herself wider so she could feel his full length against her core. Her other foot was planted flat on the mattress to push herself up even more when he moved against her, creating a stronger friction.

"Ah… fuck, baby!" Edward gasped as she bucked into him with more force.

His body seemed to mimic hers without conscious thought and he thrust against her, simultaneously pounding and stroking with each downward motion. The bed bounced with their movements as they rocked against each other, their lips only parting as they gasped for breath. Bella's pelvis throbbed with intense pleasure every time it hit his hard erection and she wanted to cry out whenever she would feel him against her clit. Edward thought the murmured cries she was making against his mouth were almost as arousing as the soft, wet flesh that was caressing him. He moved his lips to her neck so they could both breath and kissed down to her shoulder. She started chanting his name under her breath and he sucked on her collar bone in response. Suddenly, she wrapped both legs around him and arched her back hard. Edward looked up at her beautiful face and the slight of her climaxing was more than he could take. She was breathtaking and the feeling of her quivering against him sent Edward over the edge. Burying his face in her neck to muffle his yelling he released against her still pulsing core.

They were both shaking, tangled up together and gasping for air. Edward's head was still tucked into her shoulder and Bella reached up to weave her fingers through his damp hair. Neither of them spoke for several minutes as their heart beats slowed.

"I-ubnl-oov…" Edward mumbled without moving.

"What?" Bella whispered softly. When he didn't respond, she kissed his head gently. "Edward?"

"I fucking love you," he repeated, raising his head just slightly as he spoke before returning his lips to her shoulder.

Bella smiled and accepted the tears that were starting to push their way into her eyes. "And I fucking love you too, Edward Cullen. I really do."

"Are you OK?" he croaked out, still having trouble finding his voice.

"Perfect," she told him, smoothing his hair back so she could try to see his face. "You?"

Pausing for a minute before replying, he asked. "What's _more_ than perfect?"

"Hmm… I don't know. I guess just, more than perfect."

"Well, I'm that."

Bella hummed in agreement and moved her hand to stroke his arms and back.

"Am I crushing you?"

"Yes, but I love it," she told him. "Don't move yet. OK?"

"OK."

They held each other silently a few minutes more before Edward spoke again.

"So… did that count?"

"Count?" Bella asked before she realized what he meant. "As in… did it count as having… sex?"

Edward shrugged. "Just wondering what you thought."

"Well, what do _you_ think?"

"Doesn't matter to me. I love being with you. I don't care what it's defined as."

"Yeah, I'm with you on that," Bella smiled, hugging him against her. "I know I definitely felt loved so… I guess that's what it was."

"Love?"

"Exactly."

"Baby… are we becoming one of those mushy, lovey-dovey couples?"

"Hmm… Let me see…. You're still an asshole."

"And you're still a shrew," Edward told her, lifting his head to look at her face. "A fucking gorgeous shrew with the most beautiful eyes and a sexy as hell body… but still a shrew."

Bella laughed. "Uh oh, I think your fears might be grounded. We are definitely turning into one of _those_ couples."

"No way!" Edward announced, suddenly rolling over and taking her with him until she was cuddled up into his side. He pulled the sheet up around them and reached to turn off the light. "That will never happen to us. Even if I can't help the way you react to me?"

"Excuse me?" Bella asked, rising up on her elbow.

"It's not really your fault you have no self control when I'm around," Edward said teasingly, putting his hands behind his head. "I've just always had that affect on you."

"Oh, really? And what kind of effect to I have on you?" she challenged back a moment before her hand found its way under the sheet to caress his now softened length.

Edward gasped and hissed as she stroked him twice before removing her hand and raising her eye brows in question.

"Still no self-control, Swan? You can't keep your hands off me for even a few minutes?"

"Nope! I guess not," she replied and started to move her hand under the sheet again.

"Fuck! OK, OK… you're killing me, here. Give a guy a chance to recover, baby."

Bella laid her head on his shoulder with an amused sigh. "OK, we'll call a truce. You're not the only one who is worn out."

"Shit! You're supposed to be resting," Edward suddenly remembered in alarm.

"Don't be silly; I'm fine," Bella finished with a yawn that seemed to contradict her point. "Just good and tired now. Feel free to be smug about that."

"Oh, I am!" Edward assured her with a grin she knew was there even if she couldn't see it. "But I want you to sleep now."

"Deal," she agreed in a drowsy voice, her eyes already closed. "Love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart." Edward kissed the top of her head and caressed her back lazily.

Bella sighed again and she nestled closer. His gentle touch felt wonderful and when his fingers eventually found their way under the long T-shirt to stroke the soft skin of her backside it felt even better. Before long she was being pulled down into a warm, deep sleep.

Edward sensed the change in Bella's body the moment she was asleep. She was heavier against him and her hand slid further down his chest to rest on his stomach. His lips were still in her hair and his hand caressed her from her lower back to her beautiful ass. Holding her against him like this as she slept so peacefully was amazing. Almost as amazing as what they had just shared; which had been beyond incredible. His last thought before drifting off to sleep himself was that he felt even closer to her now, if that was possible.

He was still sleeping soundly when the glow of morning filtered through Bella's eyelids. She knew he was asleep by the deep, even rise of his chest beneath her cheek and she allowed her brain to acknowledge it was morning even if she didn't give her body permission to move yet. She felt like she hadn't moved in days and, from the feel of Edward's arms locked around her, neither one of them had so much as rolled over in the night. There was some doubt as to whether her muscles would even work at this point. Taking a motionless inventory of her body, though, brought her attention to the slight ache between her legs and reminded her of the previous night's activities.

Bella drew in a quick breath and her eyes opened as memories flooded back to her. Delicious memories that she intended to replay in her mind many times over, but still a shock to wake up to. Wow! That had _really _happened? It was far too good to have been a dream and, although not painful, her body was noticeably sore.

Lifting her heard slowly, Bella peered at Edward's sleeping face above her. Even in the dim morning light she could tell he was definitely smirking a little in his sleep. If he'd been awake she would have called him a cocky asshole, but he looked too damn cute for her to do it now.

Ignoring her protesting muscles, Bella sat up further to look at the clock. As much as she hated too, she knew it was probably a good idea for her to go back to Alice room now in case Esme came back up to check on her. She managed to slip out from under Edward's arms without waking him. He rolled over in his sleep when she was free, the sheet coming off of both of them to provide a wonderful glimpse of his firm ass.

"Hmmm…." Bella smirked to herself in a hushed whisper. "Now, that is worth waking up for." She leaned back over gently and placed a soft kiss on the little dimple of his lower back, quickly deciding that was one of her new favorite spots. "I love you," she breathed against his skin, kissing the spot once more before very carefully moving off of the bed.

She tiptoed to the door and out into the hallway almost silently. The house felt completely still at this early hour and only the tiniest click of Alice's bedroom door broke the quiet. Alice was passed out on her own bed, covers pulled up to her waist and her cell phone still lying in her open palm. Bella noticed that the sheets and comforter on the bed she usually slept in were already pulled back. For a minute, she wondered why Alice had messed up her bed. Did she decide to sleep there herself for a change? Then it dawned on her that her BFF had thought to make it look like Bella's bed had been slept in just in case she and Edward had been caught.

Bella didn't' like the idea of deceiving Carlisle and Esme, but the fact that Alice was trying to have her back meant a lot and she crawled into the messy bed with a smile on her face.

When Esme poked her head into the room several hours later, Bella realized she had fallen back into a deep sleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

"Girls?" Esme said for the third time in less than a minute. "I've been knocking but couldn't get either of you to wake up."

"Sorry, mom," Alice said in a sleepy mumble, her eyes still closed.

"Did you two stay up all night talking?" Esme chided with a smile as she stepped into the room. "Like that would be anything new. Are you awake, Bella dear?"

"Yeah," Bella rolled over to face the door and rubbed her eyes. "At least mostly."

"I just wanted you to know that it's almost 9:00 and your mother will be here for brunch in a couple of hours."

"Oh, right," Bella remembered, rising up on her elbows. "I'll get dressed and come down to help."

"It's all under control, Bella," Esme smiled. "I just wanted you to have plenty of time to get ready so you don't rush and tire yourself out."

Thinking about all the ways she tired herself out last night, Bella felt a little guilty for being lazy this morning. "No, I'm fine. I'm glad to help."

"Yeah, I'll help too," Alice mumbled, her eyes still not open and the covers pulled up even tighter around her. "Just a few more minutes, OK?"

Esme shook her head. "I don't know how you are going to make it back to school in a few days."

Alice just groaned.

When Esme had left, Bella pulled her covers off and sat up. "Don't worry, Al. I'll take the first shower and let you sleep a little longer."

"OK, thanks," Alice mumbled as Bella walked across the room to get her shower bag. "Hey, wait a minute. Didn't you take a shower before bed last night?"

Bella paused. Turning, she saw that Alice had opened her eyes and was staring at her in confusion. Suddenly, Alice's eyes' widened and her confusion turned to accusation.

"And, correct me if I'm wrong, Isabel, but weren't you wearing something _under_ that T-shirt when you went to bed last night?"

"What?" Bella asked, trying to sound innocent and turning away to hide the rest spots on her cheek. "What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about the boxer shorts you had on when you went into Edward's room last night. I don't see them on the floor in here. So, tell me, my dear Bella, where _exactly_, did you lose them?"

* * *

_**AN: I hope the wait wasn't too long and that it was worth it! Coming up we have the brunch, movie marathon, of course some more drama, and a lot more "mushy" stuff **_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

_**~Alexanya**_


	28. Easy Access

**_Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to_**

**_spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?_**

**_Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight._**

* * *

**_AN: My laptop crashed... there were tears :( _**

**_Thankfully, I was able to save all of my writing in the long run :) _**

* * *

Enemy Mine

Chapter 28: "Easy Access"

"_And, correct me if I'm wrong, Isabella, but weren't you wearing something under that T-shirt when you went to bed last night?"_

"_What?" Bella asked, trying to sound innocent and turning away to hide the red spots on her cheek. "What are you talking about?"_

"_I am talking about the boxer shorts you had on when you went into Edward's room last night. I don't see them on the floor in here. So, tell me, my dear Bella, where exactly did you lose them?"_

Damn, she was busted!

"Give me a break, Al," Bella tried to laugh off her questioning. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Are you wearing _anything_ under that shirt?" Alice asked just as Bella turned towards the door, giving her friend a clear view of her blushing face. "You're not, are you? Bells! Oh my…"

"Alice!" Bella hissed with a nervous grin on her face. "Would you shut up? What if your mom was still in the hallway?"

"I heard her go down the stairs and, no, I will NOT shut up. I want details!"

Bella moved closer to Alice's bed and stood with her hands on her hips to give her friend an incredulous look. "Really, Alice? You want details about what your best friend did… or is doing… with _your_ brother?"

Alice sat back and scrunched up her face. "Ewwww! Now that you mention it… No, I really don't want to hear about it."

"Then stop being so nosey!" Bella told her with a laugh as Alice's face continued to contort in obvious disgust.

"OK. No details. But I am going to want some brief information. You are my BFF after all and… well… I gotta at least know how far you've gone."

It was funny how that statement would have made sense to Bella a week ago. She and Alice, neither one being very experienced, had always talked about everything. What was happening between her and Edward now, though, was so personal to them that she didn't want to share it all with Alice. She wouldn't even know how to explain it, really, because it was so much more than just physical.

"You're smiling," Alice suddenly announced.

"What?"

"You got lost in thought and now you are grinning and blushing like an idiot."

Bella grabbed a stuffed bunny off of Alice's dresser, a last remnant of childhood still in the room, and threw it at her best friend.

"Shut up and don't make fun," Bella ordered, the goofy smile still on her face. "I told you already. I… I'm in love with him. And…"

Now Alice was matching her goofy grin. "And…?"

"And, we _love_ each other," Bella went on vaguely. "And he is so… soooo… loving to me, Alice. You just can't imagine!"

Alice giggled. She couldn't help it. The far-off look in Bella eyes was just too much.

"How loving?"

"Alice! It's not just about… _that._"

"I'm sure it's not. But I have seen how you look at each other and… _that…_ is definitely on your minds."

"Yeah," Bella admitted with a nod. "Definitely! But…" she went on, seeing Alice's eyes go wide. "I just got out of the hospital yesterday and you know how protective your brother is."

"OK, but I also know you are naked from the waist down, Isabella."

"Alice!" Bella shrieked, throwing light punches at her until Alice had to pull a pillow between them to protect herself.

"Just tell me where the boxers went, Bells, and I'll drop it."

"Oh, you know damn well I left them in Edward's room."

Alice peeked out from behind the pillow again. "Did you at least get any sleep?"

"Yes, actually, I slept very well."

"I'll bet you did… later on."

"Alice! Remember, this is your best friend and brother you are…"

"Eww! Stop doing that, Bells! I'm trying to pretend we are just talking about some hypothetical boyfriend of yours here!"

"Speaking of your brother and things he wears under his pants…"

"I said stop it!" Alice hid her face in the pillow again.

Bella laughed. "I'm being serious here. Are you still in on helping me with that little something I mentioned last night?"

"The payback?" she peaked out again. "Sure! But, what are you…"

"I'll tell you the plan when we get downstairs. I have to check some things out first."

"Are you being devious now, Bells?"

"Yup! Are you in?"

"I'm always in!"

Bella smiled and gave Alice a pinking shake before going to shower. When she returned to get dressed, Alice was nowhere in sight. She quickly threw on a light sundress that fell just below her knees and stepped into a pair of ballet flats. Just as she was leaving the room she heard Edward open his door and walk to the bathroom. Perfect timing! This gave her a chance to take care of a little something before filling Alice in on the rest of her plan.

After Bella had stealthfully completed her secret task she walked into the kitchen to find Alice sitting at the breakfast bar feverishly texting while her Captain Crunch became soggy in the bowl. A somber-looking Emmett sat beside her, leaning over so far that his cheek nearly touched the counter. The can of Red Bull in his hand wasn't even opened.

"What's wrong with you?" Bella asked as she moved to stand facing them on the other side of the bar.

Alice didn't look up as she answered but pointed to a large jar on the counter next to them. "He's pouting because he lost $7 already this morning."

"Huh?" Bella squinted at the jar with four dollar bills and a pile of change in the bottom before understanding dawned on her. "The swear jar?"

"You got it," Alice replied, her fingers texting again.

"Seven dollars already, Em? How long have you been up?"

Emmett raised his eyes pitifully. "It just happened so fast," he mumbled in reply. "Mom was like a human calculator. I hadn't even had my Red Bull and she was following me around saying 'That's a dollar… That's another dollar' and I just said, 'Fucking Hell, mom, can you give me a damn minute for shit's sake?"

Bella cringed. "And that made it seven dollars?"

"It just happened so fast…" Emmett put his head on the counted with a thud.

"I'm sorry, Em. But you can still swear in front of us. We won't rat you out, right Alice?"

"As long as he doesn't rat us out," Alice agreed, finally putting her cell down. "Cheer up, big guy. Mom is just out to prove a point. It will blow over."

"But I was low on cash already and I wanted to take Rosie out tonight."

"What about movie marathon?"

"After movie marathon," he explained. "It's the last Friday night of Spring Break."

"So, borrow it from Edward, then," Alice suggested. "He's always got savings."

Emmett smirked. "True, but he's got a girlfriend now so I fear the 'Bank of Edward' days will soon be coming to an end."

Bella laughed. "I completely forgot we used to call him that!"

"Used to? I still do! He's the only one that ever saved his money."

"So, go asked him for a loan, Em," Alice pushed, picking up her cell and texting again. "I'm sure dad won't be clearing Bella for any fancy nights out this weekend. Edward should be able to spare the cash."

"Is he up yet?" Emmett asked Bella after seeing her nod in agreement.

"He's was in the shower. He had something to take care of this morning so he's probably getting ready to leave."

"What is he taking care of?" Alice asked.

Bella shrugged. "I don't know."

"You didn't ask?"

"No. He said he'd be back by the time we were done having brunch with our moms."

"Back from where?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "I don't know, Miss Nosey. Why the Hell would I care about his errands?"

"But don't you want to know where he is? What he's doing?" Alice asked. "And you owe the swear jar!"

"It doesn't count if mom doesn't hear!" Emmett quickly defended her.

"Thanks, Em. And no, Alice, I don't want to know where he is at every minute of the day," Bella said, making a face. "I mean, that's creepy! We are still _two_ people."

"Damn, my bro is a lucky guy."

"Um, thanks again, Em… I think?"

"I just mean most of the girls I've dated are control freaks. They think as soon as you make it official they own every minute of your time. They never leave me alone."

Alice suddenly stopped texting and made a face at her cell phone. "Maybe they just like being connected to you all the time."

"Connected? Or smothered?" Emmett replied. "A guy needs to breath sometimes, you know."

"Hey, so does a girl," Bella corrected him with a smile. "I don't see Rosalie calling you half as much as you call her."

"Well, that's because she doesn't have her own phone," he defended himself, and then smiled back. "Plus, I'm a lucky guy too!"

Alice was still scowling at her cell phone in silence and Bella generously decided not to point out the obvious.

Emmett, however, did not feel as kind. "Speaking of smothering, how is Jasper this morning?"

Alice only glared at her brother in reply and Bella quickly changed the subject.

"What are you doing up so early, Em? What happened to sleeping in while you can?"

"I hadn't been planning to stay up. I just came down for my Red Bull when mom pounced on me with the whole swear jar thing." Dragging himself off the stool, he started towards the stairs. "I'm gonna go hit Edward up for a loan and go back to bed. Wake me when the movie marathon starts."

"Sure thing!" Bella called out.

There was a little too much brightness to her voice and Emmett heard her start to whisper excitedly to his sister as he left the room, but decided he was too tired to investigate whatever those two were plotting this time.

Emmett plodded up the stairs and came across Edward just as he was exiting the bathroom with a towel around his waist.

"Dude!" Emmett called out, blocking his brother's path. "I have a huge favor to ask."

"OK, what is it?" Edward replied. "And what are you doing awake this side of noon?"

"Long story. Nevermind. But, I need to borrow a little cash. The swear jar took some of mine."

"The swear jar?" Edward started to laugh. "Are you fucking serious?"

"Yes! And if mom had heard you just now you would be out two bucks so watch it!"

Edward just laughed harder. "How much did you lose so far?"

"Sever dollars. So can I borrow ten? Wait – better, make it twenty. I have a feeling that damn jar is going to get me again before tonight."

"What's tonight?"

"I just wanted to take Rosalie for some dinner. Please, dude! Just twenty bucks until next weekend?"

Edward hesitated for a minute before nodding his head. "OK, come on."

Emmitt followed him into his room where he opened a desk drawer and pulled out a stuffed envelope.

Edward counted the cash inside the envelope before he hesitated again. "How about ten for now and I'll see if I can still do another ten when I get back?"

Emmett squinted at his brother. "Where the Hell are you going that you need all that cash?"

"Nevermind," Edward shook his head and pulled out a twenty. "Here, take it. I'm sure I've got enough."

Emmett was still eyeing him strangely but, remembering how Bella had called Alice nosey a few minutes ago, decided to let it go. "Thanks, man! I owe you a favor."

"Considering you just saved my girlfriend's life the other day, I think I can handle loaning you twenty buck."

"Yeah, it pays to be a hero, doesn't it?" Emmett bragged with a puffed out chest. "Well, I'm going to hang up my cape for awhile and get some more sleep. Later dude!"

Edward nodded back as he shut the door behind his brother and went to find some clothes to wear. He didn't want to look too sloppy for where he was going. Casual but mature was the look he was going for. After picking out a nice pair of dark gray jeans with a green stripped V-neck T shirt and dark boots from his closet, he threw the pile on his bed and opened the top drawer of his dresser to pull out a clean pair of boxer brief.

The drawer was empty.

Hadn't his mom said last night she did all of his laundry? And he didn't remember the drawer being this low. What the hell?

With Bella in the house, he debated whether his parents would object to him walking downstairs to check the laundry room in only a towel… After all, they didn't _know_ she had seen him in less than that. Deciding to play it safe, he put his jean on commando and finished dressing before leaving his room.

When he got to the stairs he could hear Bella and Alice talking with his mom in the kitchen. The topic of conversation seemed to be the menu for their brunch and he decided not to interrupt them. Moving passed the kitchen and the door to the garage, he stepped into the laundry room at the back of the house. The blue laundry basket that was usually kept in his closet was sitting on the floor completely empty. Edward opened both the washer and the dryer but they were empty too.

Seriously, what the hell?

"You didn't misplace something, did you?"

Bella's innocent voice caught him by surprise and he turned to see her smirking at him from the doorway wearing a frilly little dress that made her look completely sinful.

"You know," she sighed dramatically, crossing her arms as she sauntered into the room. "You really should keep better track of your things."

Oh hell no! She did NOT!

"What things in particular, Bella?" Edward asked to test her.

She just shrugged. "I'm just saying, in general, you seem to have… lost something rather important."

"Something?"

"Or, maybe even a few pairs of _something_… hypothetically, of course."

Edward returned her smirk. "Of course."

"It's kind of like the other day when I… _lost_… something of mine after leaving it in the bathroom."

He should have known she hadn't forgotten about him taking her panties. She did promise she'd get him back.

"In fact, you said something to me that day," she went on coyly, taking a provocative step closer to him. "Do you remember what it was?"

Edward sighed. "Bring it on?"

Bella grinned, delighted he remembered. "I believe those were your exact words, yes."

"So you swiped every pair of underwear I have because I took one pair of yours?"

Eyes wide in pretend shock, Bella gasped, "Are you saying that you took my panties?"

Edward smiled widely and winked. "What panties?"

Her laugh was husky as she moved to lean against him. "Are you sure about that?" she purred.

Damn he loved this feisty, sexy side of her!

"I told you it wasn't lady-like to lose them, Bella."

"So, what does that say about you who can't find a single pair of boxers to wear?"

"I guess you are just going to have to suffer knowing I'm going commando all day long."

"And you think I'll _mind_ that?" Bella pressed herself closer to him and put her hands on his hips

"Maybe not but, remember baby, you seem to have a fondness for a certain part of my anatomy that will be going unprotected."

"Who says I won't protect it?" she asked as her hand slid down to rest on the bulge forming at his crotch.

"Fuck!" Edward gasped as she pressed gently.

"Hmmm, I think I like you this way. Much easier to _feel…_" Her warm breath blew across his jaw as she spoke. "And easier access too, I'll bet."

"Easier access?" he choked out, trying to resist how much her touch was affecting him.

"You know… just like you described my hospital gown?" Bella's nibble fingers found his zipper and she tugged on it playfully. "Easy access. See?"

"Bella…"

Edward tried to put a warning in his tone but she only giggled at him. Before he had a chance to take a breath she pulled his zipper down and slipped her fingers inside. After that, breathing was impossible. With no extra barrier, her warm fingers brushed against his hardening flesh causing his knees to almost buckle. An electrifying feeling exploded under her touch and seemed to singe up his entire body. A strangled groan came out of his throat that sounded almost like choking. Stumbling forward he grasp her shoulder to keep from falling.

"Do you like that?" Bella asked softly, stroking him again with just her finger tips.

"Ah… fuck… door… baby… wait… door…" Edward gritted his teeth and forced himself to pull away when Bella didn't react. "Damn, baby, what has gotten into you? My mom could have walked in."

Bella sighed in exaggerated annoyance as Edward stumbled to the laundry room door to carefully close it. When she heard him click the lock in place she folded her arms across her chest with a huff.

"You're no fun," she whined in an attempt to cover her own embarrassment. What the hell _had_ just gotten into her? She was so wrapped up in their play that she actually did forget about the door or the fact others were in the house. Damn! She certainly couldn't let Edward know he'd had that affect on her so easily. "I was just trying to point out the benefits of your… predicament. But, if you don't want my help then just forget it."

Edward leaned against the door with his arms folded to match hers. "So, you want to have some fun? Is that right?"

He smirked at her with a dangerous glint in his eyes and Bella had a feeling she wasn't getting away that easily. When he began stalking towards her she automatically took a step back, even as she fought the grin that was pulling at her mouth.

"Too late, I don't want to play with you anymore," she retorted haughtily, backing up against the washer

"Well, maybe I want to play with you," he retorted, stopping in front of her. "I know a thing or two about easy access too, you know. "

Bella gasped as Edward quickly snaked both his hands under her frilly dress and brushed his fingers over the cotton panties that barely covered her hips.

"Well, that's disappointing," he teased her as he started tugging at the elastic band. "These really need to go."

"Edward!"

"If you get to know I'm going commando all day shouldn't I get to be thinking the same about you?"

Bella giggled, but squirmed to get out of his grasp. "Don't you dare! My mother is coming over."

"Then I suggest you learn to sit with your knees together."

Her panties were sliding down her thighs and Bella suddenly stopped wiggling when she felt Edward's fingers brush between her legs.

"Ah… Edward," she sighed as he stroked her lightly.

"Feel like playing with me now?" he tempted her, bending to place a kiss at her neck as his fingers caressed her folds and his free hand pushed her panties passed her knees.

Bella's arms went around his shoulders as she rocked against him. "I'm still not taking them off," she said with heavy breath, feeling herself becoming wet. "Not with both our mothers here."

"We'll see," Edward told her, kissing her neck again and teasing her clit with his thumb.

She leaned back with a moan and tried to kiss him, but Edward surprised her again by moving his hands to her sides and lifting her on top of the washer.

"Edward, what are you… Ah!" she gasped again when she found her dress pushed up as Edward bent and spread her legs wide. "Oh, shit!"

Bella thought her heart would stop when she saw Edward bend his head to brush his tongue along the inside of her thigh. As he moved his mouth to her other thigh, he locked his gaze to hers and she started to pant wildly. His green eyes seemed to shine in the dim room. Slowly, never taking his eyes from her face, he moved his lips closer to her heated center until he lightly kissed her curls.

"Edward…" she whimpered, nearly out of breath.

He repeated the gentle kiss several times, closing his eyes and feeling her arch as she leaned back on her hands. His lips were teasing her; driving her crazy. And then his tongue…

Holy! Fucking! Shit!

His tongue suddenly pressed between her folds and licked from her opening to her clit in a long, languid stroke. The roughness of his flat tongue dragged slowly across her over-sensitive core again and then again and Bella literally felt her eyes roll back in her head.

Edward moaned as he realized he could actually _taste_ her and the sound of it vibrated against her core.

"Oh, shit… Oh, shit… Oh, shit…" Bella panted softly as she struggled to keep herself from collapsing under the intense pleasure of what she was feeling.

Her legs started to tremble and Edward wrapped an arm around each of her thighs to keep them open for him. He circled her clit several times with the tip of his tongue, earning a long whimper from her, and then moved to taste her slit again. It didn't seem to matter that he didn't know what he was doing. Her response told him that, just like her touch on him, it all felt good.

Bella's hips started rocking on their own, as if she no longer had to think for her body to know how to move. Edward took this encouragement and pushed his mouth against her deeper until his lips could wrap around her clit to gently suck on it.

"Oh fuck!" Bella cried out, her hand grabbing the back of his head to hold him there.

The door to the laundry room suddenly rattled, snapping both Bella and Edward back to reality.

"Why the hell is this locked?" Alice's muffled voice came through as she grumbled to herself from the other side.

Edward quickly lifted Bella down from the washer, her panties falling around her ankles as her feet hit the floor. She bent to pull them back up her shaking legs just as Edward moved to zip up his jeans, and she couldn't stop her eyes from going wide as she saw him wiping his mouth.

Wiping _her_ from his mouth!

Bella face instantly blushed and Edward had the nerve to wink at her.

"You look _so_ guilty?" he whispered to her.

"Shut up, asshole!" she whispered back, trying to smooth out her dress as Alice continued to rattle the door.

Bella quickly walked passed Edward, trying not to be obvious about the ache between her legs… not to mention the dampness… and unlocked the laundry room door. Alice suddenly swung into the room and stopped short at the sight of them.

"Oh!" she exclaimed softly when she took in their appearance. Then she rolled her eyes with such exasperation that her whole head seemed to move. "Note to self," she muttered. "Start avoiding all locked door around here." With another pointed look at the flustered couple in the room, she grabbed a bottle of vinegar and turned to leave. "I found it mom!" she called out as she walked back to the kitchen. "It was in the laundry room. And I think Bella must have gone back upstairs..."

"You are a little vixen, you know that?" Edward whispered in Bella's ear as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Oh, please! You were the one losing control just now," she quipped back.

Edward chuckled. "Still in denial, Swan…. But what would my mother think is she had walked in on us?"

"She would have thought her son was a very bad boy!" Bella twisted out of his arms to put some space between them in case Esme did come in.

Edward was having none of that, though, and pulled her hips against his again. "You like me bad and you know it," he said warmly while biting her ear lobe.

"Bad, bad, you are so bad…" Bella chastised but it came out as more of a moan. "But, I… uh… did like it."

"Yeah?" he asked, more vulnerable now. "Was it OK?"

"Amazing," she whispered shyly.

Edward hugged her more tightly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Bella moved to put her arms around his neck and their mouths met for a long kiss. It was followed by another; and then another. When Edward started to push his tongue against her lips, though, Bella pulled back.

"Door is open. Remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Right." Edward stepped back and released her. "I guess you need to get back to kitchen."

"Well, first I need to go upstairs," Bella blushed. "To freshen up."

Edward had the audacity to look smug, so Bella had to hit him and tell him to shut up.

When she eventually made it back downstairs Edward was sitting on one of the stools in the kitchen helping his mother slice melons. Why did the asshole have to look adorable being all domestic like that? It was totally messed up.

"Oh, there you are Bella, dear," Esme smiled. "Are you feeling all right?"

_Don't look at Edward… Don't look at Edward…_ Bella chanted to herself as she smiled in return.

"Yes, I'm feeling OK. Maybe a little nervous about talking with my mom," she admitted.

Out of the corner of her eye Bella said Edward glance up at her in concern.

"I guess I'm just being dumb," she added quickly, surprised at herself for being so open about her emotions to begin with. "I mean, it's just my _mom_. It's no big deal."

"Don't call yourself dumb, dear," Esme said very gently, almost as a whisper, as she kissed the top of Bella's head lovingly. "Why don't you sit down here and have a piece of toast. Something in your stomach will take a bit of those nerves away."

"Oh, I'm not hu…" Bella stopped her sentence when she caught the very pointed look Edward was suddenly giving her. "I mean, my mom will be here in an hour and I don't want to spoil my appetite."

Bella returned Edward's stare even after Esme stepped away and his eyes finally relented. She took a seat on the stool next to him and bumped his hip with hers.

"You look very Martha Stewart there," she teased him.

Somehow Edward found a way to smirk at her without lifting his head. "Well, you know, I am very good with my hands… _you _know."

Bella gasped and kicked him hard under the counter.

"What?" he continued innocently. "I have very nibble fingers. They are just slightly rough, but I can move them very quickly and with delicate precision… Ow! Fuck, that hurt!"

"Swear jar!" Alice squealed from the table across the room.

"I heard," Esme said, as she walked back over to set a plate of toast and a cup of tea in front of Bella. "That's two dollars, son."

Edward was rubbing his shin but his eyes focused on the food she was subtly pushing on Bella and he grinned. "I love you, mom."

She just winked at him knowingly and held her hand out for cash.

Bella started to giggle at the whole exchange and took a bite of her toast without even realizing.

"Holy sh… _cow_!" Alice stuttered loudly, looking at the envelope of money her brother pulled out of his pocket. "What the… _heck_… are you doing with that wad of cash?"

Bella laughed again. "The bank of Edward," she muttered around a second bite of toast.

"Did Emmett hit you up for a loan already?" Alice confirmed. "I think that swear jar will be the only bank in this house soon."

"Yeah, mom, what are you going to do with all that cash?" Edward asked, handing her two dollars and putting the rest of his money away.

"I hadn't expected it to fill up quite so fast," Esme told them with a shake of her head. "But I'm sure your father and I will think of something."

"Like a new flat screen?" Alice asked hopefully.

Esme chuckle and shook her head. "Don't you think you should be getting dressed, young lady? Rene might be here soon."

"Oh, don't worry about my mom being early. That will never happen," Bella said as she took a sip of the warm tea. Mmmm… Esme always made it perfect with just the right amount of milk and honey.

"She might surprise you, dear."

Bella wasn't sure if she was talking about more than just her mom's habit for running late, but she only shrugged in response and smiled over the rim of her cup.

"Alice? Now, please," Esme prodded.

With another tilt of her mother's head, this one more urgent, Alice finally dragged herself up the stairs. She was just outside her bedroom door when she heard her brother calling from behind her.

"Hey, what happened to the laundry mom did?" Edward asked. "Mom said you put folded it and put it away."

"Why?" Alice turned with an exaggerated innocence. "Are you _missing _something?"

"Ah, son-of a bitch! You're in on it too? That's unfair!"

"Swear-jar" she taunted him back. "And what's unfair?"

"You know exactly what. She can't recruit you to get me back for taking her panties. This is a one-on-one battle."

"You took Bella's panties?"

"She didn't tell you?"

"She said she was getting you back for something but she never said it was for stealing her panties! Edward!"

"Well, what the hell are you scowling at me for? You're the one who helped her do worse to me."

"What _you _did was worse," she insisted with a curt nod.

"What? How do you figure that?"

"It just is... Right, Bella?"

Edward turned to see her girlfriend standing behind him, her face red from the effort it was taking her not to laugh.

"Pay-backs a bitch, remember?" Bella teased, stepping forward to wrap her arms around Edward's waist.

"Especially when you two gang up on me," he admitted grudgingly. "So, have I learned my lesson yet?"

"Maybe, but I kind of like you this way," Bella told him, moving closer.

"OK, this is where I leave!" Alice announced, all but slamming her bedroom door behind her.

With a husky laugh, Bella moved her hand from Edward's waist to drag her fingers across the front of his jeans. "Is it very uncomfortable?"

"No nearly as uncomfortable as what you are doing now," he replied with a choke in his voice.

"Hmmm... easy access..." she murmured under her breath, pressing slightly just to feel him grow harder under her touch.

"Baby, you keep doing that and there's no telling what our moms might walk in on..."

"Yeah, OK," she agreed, stepping back. "Maybe now isn't the time for playing."

"I guess you'll just have to deal with knowing I'm going commando all day while you can't take advantage of it," he teased.

"You want me to be thinking of you like _that_ while I'm having brunch with our mothers?"

Edward grinned. "Hey, you're the one who's so fond of easy access."

"Can't argue with that," she replied with the sexiest, most tempting smirk she could manage. "I may have to wear skirts more often."

"Ah, fuck..." Edward groaned, pulling at his hair. "And now I'll be thinking about _that _all day."

"That's the idea." Bella laughed, slipping quickly into Alice's room and closing the door behind her.

"Shrew!" Edward yelled behind her and listened to her laugh continue on the other side of the wall before adding. "I'll see you when I get back."

Bella stayed up in Alice's room while her friend showered and got dressed. She stared out the window watching the driveway during the thirty minutes it took Alice to fix her hair. There was a twinge of guilt inside her knowing Esme was finishing the brunch preparations on her own, even thought she had pushed Bella to go upstairs and rest. Still, the idea of facing her mom as she walked in the front door was too unsettling for her, especially without Alice there.

It was ten minutes passed when Bella saw Rene's car pulling up the Cullen's drive; and ten minutes late was practically on time for her mom. Still, it stung a little that this wasn't one occasion when it would be important enough for Rene to be on time. Some traits just never change.

"Are you ready?" Alice asked from across the room, motioning towards the door.

"Let's give them another minute," Bella replied cautiously.

"You know, even now you could change your mind. If you don't want to see her today, Bells, just say so and I'll go downstairs to explain."

"Thanks, Al," she smiled. "I mean it. Thanks. I'll be OK, though."

"Do you want me to go first?"

"No, I'd rather we go together."

Alice grinned, liking this idea, and gave Bella another minute to collect herself before the two of them headed down the stairs.

As the two girls entered the kitchen they saw Rene sitting at the counter with a fresh cup of coffee in her hands. She looked tired, especially around the eyes, but greeted them with a big smile. Esme, who was taking fresh muffins out of a pan and transferring them to a plate, must have heard them coming down the stairs because she was already speaking as they walked through the door.

"I told you it would take Alice an extra fifteen minutes to be ready," Esme was saying. "By her sense of timing, you were actually early, Rene."

Bella was grateful to her for starting things out with some humor, even though she knew Esme was still harbored a lot of anger at her long time friend over everything that had happened.

"Well, both of our girls look absolutely beautiful," Rene responded without missing a beat. "If it only took fifteen minutes for these results, then I want to know their secret."

"Thanks, Rene," Alice said politely. She was still pissed off at Bella's mother too, but she wanted to make this meeting as comfortable for her best friend as possible. "You look very nice too."

"Yeah," Bella said awkwardly beside her. "You look good mom. How are you?"

"Well, tell me how _you_ are, honey, and I'll let you know," she replied in concern. "I've been worried about you."

"I'm fine," she answered vaguely.

"And hungry too, I hope," Esme added.

The knots in Bella's stomach weren't exactly hunger pains, but she only nodded towards the plate of muffins and tried to look enthusiastic. "Those smell wonderful. Can I put them on the table for you?"

"No joke! Mom, you out-did yourself I think," Alice jumped in. "When do we eat?"

"Now," Esme smiled, ushering them towards to dining room where she'd set a cheerful-looking table with a white cloth and fresh flowers.

The conversation started off simply as they passed the serving plates around and Esme made certain everyone had enough cream and sugar for their coffee. Rene asked about the Cullen's brief night away last week, but no one dared bring up the her and Charlie's disastrous Vancouver trip. They had just finished passing around the butter plate for the muffins when an awkward silence began to settle.

"Uh, so," Rene picked up uncertainly. "Alice! Bella says you have a new boyfriend?"

Instantly a grin was plastered across Alice's face. "Yeah, we've been going out for about a week. His name is Jasper."

"Is he in your class at school."

Alice nodded, still grinning. "He's really sweet. And totally hot."

Both mothers laughed at that comment.

"Well, he _is!_" Alice defended as she laughed along with them. "And he's a friend of Edward's too so now we can double date with him and Bella. It's perfect!"

Rene's smile faulted and Alice bit her tongue. The sudden realization of Bella and Edward's relationship was still a touchy subject.

After several seconds of tense silence, Rene finally spoke. "That does sound nice," she told both girls.

"As long as Alice doesn't mind when he starts doing the over-protective brother thing as soon as Jazz makes a move," Bella teased, joining the conversation for the first time. "You know how he is."

"Yeah, but I'll trust you to keep him in line," Alice grinned back at her and then turned to Rene. "She usually does."

Rene's smile turned genuine again. "Is that right? Well, I'm glad to hear it. Although I'm not sure how she manages it. Those two were always pretty evenly paired, as I recalled. It didn't seem like either one ever got the upper hand."

Bella was grateful that her mom was trying to show support of her relationship with Edward, but Alice jumped in again before she could respond.

"Oh, they still are! And they still try to get the upper hand over the other. And they still like to pull pranks…" Alice was warming up to this topic a little too much.

"I thought we were talking about _your_ boyfriend," Bella interrupted her.

Unfortunately, her choice of words only piqued her mother's curiosity. "Sooo... then Edward _is_ your boyfriend, Bella?"

"Well, yeah..." Bella felt her face grow bright red. She wasn't used to talking about her feelings at all, especially in a group, and everything about Edward brought up some serious feelings. "I mean... didn't you already know that?"

"I'd sort of figured it out for myself," her mother smirked. "But I hadn't actually heard you call him that before."

"Oh." She wanted to ask her mother what she thought about Edward being her boyfriend, but she was afraid it would sound too much like she was seeking her blessing. She didn't want to give any indication that she needed approval to be with him. "Yes, he's my boyfriend."

Rene looked down and was quite for a moment. "I have to confess I'm a little surprised. Obviously I began to see a change after we got back to town, but I just hadn't realized the two of you were so... close."

"I love him," Bella blurted out, suddenly wanting her mother to really understand. "And he loves me."

The room grew silent as the two of them looked at each other. Bella could feel Esme's eyes on her too and realized this might have been a shock to both mothers. But, what did they expect? Did they think this was just a High School crush?

Rene's soft laugh dispelled the quiet and she replied, "Well, the way he acted at the hospital made that obvious to everyone. Don't you think?"

"Even to dad?"

"Oh, honey..." Rene stopped laughing and sighed. "Your dad loves you."

"That wasn't what I asked," Bella insisted, unable to stop this discussion now that it had started. "Does dad understand that Edward loves me and has only been trying to protect me?"

"I know he is grateful to Edward..."

"Has he said that? Because a few days ago he was practically threatening to put Edward in jail."

"He was confused."

"And is he still confused? That's what I'm asking, mom."

"The only person your father wants in jail right now is Jacob Black."

Bella stopped in shock. "Really?"

"Yes, honey. Really!"

Pausing to swallow her nerves, she asked, "Is he...? Is he in jail?"

"Jacob? Oh, yes, honey! Yes!" Rene reached across the table to clasp her daughter's hand. "I would have assured you earlier but I wasn't certain you were ready to hear about it. Your dad made certain that Jacob couldn't be bailed out until his arrangement on Monday. It may not be possible to keep him locked up after that, but we are going to push for the highest bail that can be set."

"Do I have to be there? At the arrangement?" Bella's eyes were wide with fear.

"No. Not this time, honey. You don't even have to think about it if you don't want to. Your dad is going to take care of it."

"So, he believes me now? About Jacob? He isn't trying to defend him anymore."

"Defend Jacob? No! He wants to lock him up and throw away the key," Rene insisted. "How could he defend him?"

"He did before," Bella reminded her, a touch of bitterness creeping into her voice. "And you didn't stop him."

Rene felt the accusation behind her words and pulled her hand back. "Bella, it was a confusing situation but I never doubted you."

"That almost makes it worse, mom!" Bella suddenly snapped. "You understood that Jacob had hurt me and that I was afraid of him. I saw the tears in your eyes when you looked at the bruise on my leg. Dad never believed that Jacob was dangerous to me, but you did. Or, at least, you believed that I thought he was."

"Yes, I did believe you..."

"Then why, mom? Why didn't you help me?"

Rene looked at her daughter pleadingly. "I did, honey."

"When? Were you helping me when you let dad invite Jacob and Billy over for breakfast? Were you helping when you didn't warn me that they were coming?"

"There wasn't time..."

"Why didn't you throw them out of our house? Why didn't you tell Billy that his son wasn't welcome? Why didn't you want me to be safe?"

"Bella, I always want you to be safe."

"You mean as long as it doesn't put you in an awkward position."

Rene gasped and Bella felt a twinge of guilt at the cruelty of her words.

"Honey, I did try to..."

"I know, mom," Bella interrupted her. "You did _try _to help some. I just wish you would have tried to help a little more."

"Oh, honey," Rene reached for her daughter's hands again. "I'm so sorry I let you down. You know I'd do anything for you."

She pulled her hands out of reach. "I do?"

"Of course, you do. Bella, nothing is more important to me than you are."

"Do you really believe that mom?"

"Yes, I do. But, do you believe it, honey?"

Wiping furiously at her watering eyes, she shook her head. "I want to, mom. And I really wish I could."

"Bella..."

"I'm sorry. I'm ruining everyone's brunch." Bella continued to brush the tears from her cheeks.

"Not at all," Esme said gently. "This is an important conversation for both of you. Would you like some privacy?"

Bella shook her head and Alice rose to stand behind her.

"She isn't supposed to be overly stressed," Alice insisted. "Maybe this is enough for one day."

Her best friend's concern gave her some strength and Bella looked up at her gratefully. "I'm not that fragile, Al," she said, giving her hand a squeeze. "But what would I do without you?"

Alice smiled and bent down to give her a hug. "I know you aren't fragile, silly. You're the strongest person I know. But I'll have to face the wrath of Edward if I let you wear yourself out your first day out of the hospital. And then my dad will take his turn reading us both the riot act."

There was nervous laughter around the table, but it was enough to defuse the tension some.

"Well, we wouldn't want to put you girls through that. Would we?" Esme replied. "Maybe you should take Bella upstairs, Alice, while Rene and I finish our coffee."

Alice nodded in agreement and started pulling Bella out of her seat. Before they left, though, Rene spoke up again.

"Honey? Is there anything you want me to say to your dad?"

Bella's stomach tightened painfully as the sudden image popped into her head of Charlie laughing with Billy in their kitchen as Jacob joked that a broken nose had been worth it…

_**** "…you can't blame a boy for wanting to kiss a pretty girl, right Charlie?" ***_

_**** "I guess we've all been guilty of that, old friend…" ***_

"Bella?" Rene's concerned voice broke through the sudden memory. "Do you have a message for Charlie?"

"I think dad has a few things to say to me before I even think about talking to him."

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_**AN: How would you feel in Bella's place? Easy to forgive? Impossible to forgive? Or would you just focus on Edward for now? ;)**_

_**Thank you for your reviews. They make me soooo happy!**_

_**~Alexanya **_


	29. Something Blue

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

* * *

_**AN: The reviews last time were great! Thanks for letting me know your thoughts, and for putting so much thought into this story. It really makes me smile **_

_**There is a lot of MUSHY stuff in this chapter, but it is STEAMY MUSH at least.**_

* * *

Enemy Mine

Chapter 29: "Something Blue"

"_Bella?" Rene's concerned voice broke through the sudden memory. "Do you have a message for Charlie?"_

"_I think dad has a few things to say to me before I even think about talking to him."_

Bella walked out of the room without another comment. Alice gave Rene a slightly uncomfortable look before following her best friend up the stairs. When they reached Alice's room Bella immediately flopped face-down on the bed; suddenly finding herself drained and exhausted.

"Are you OK?" Alice asked, taking a seat on the mattress beside her.

"Yeah," Bella muttered into the pillow.

It was hard to explain that it was the force of the painful memory of her father and Billy that had wiped her out more than facing her mom. What she really wanted in that moment was to have a good cry, but she didn't want to make Alice witness that knowing how it would alarm her. So, she blinked back her tears and tried to make her voice steady.

"I guess your dad was right about tiring easily," Bella said. "I've only been up a couple of hours and I feel like I need a nap already."

"Go ahead and take one," Alice encouraged.

"I don't want to miss hanging out with everyone today."

"Don't worry about that. Emmett isn't even up and I'll wake you before we start any movies."

"Are you sure?"

Alice leaned over to kiss her cheek. "You just rest. I'll go tell your mom that you're too tired to come back down the stairs so you asked me to tell her good-bye for you. OK?"

"Will you tell her that I'm glad she came over… and that I'm OK?"

"You just can't stand for her to be upset, can you?" Alice sighed. "Even if she deserves it."

Bella shrugged into the pillow. "It's a genetic defect, I guess. I mean… she's my mom. You know?"

"It's not a defect, Bella, it's just you. But I'll tell her."

"Thanks." Bella closed her eyes, grateful to Alice for conveying her message and for giving her some time alone. She wasn't sure if that was Alice's intention or if it had just worked out that way, but maybe her BFF was becoming a little more sensitive after all. "Love you, Al…"

"Love you too, Bells." Alice shut the light off and the room suddenly fell into darkness.

"Turn the light back on!" Bella cried out as she quickly sat up. "Turn it on!"

"What's wrong?" Alice asked in concern, immediately switching on the light and rushing over to her bedside. "What happened?"

Bella's heart was hammering in her chest with a rush of adrenaline she didn't understand. The room hadn't even been completely dark but she'd felt lost and suffocated by it. Without thinking, she grabbed the throw blanket at the foot of the bed and wrapped it around herself, suddenly shivering with cold.

"Are you all right?" Alice sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulder. "You're shaking, Bella."

"I'm sorry," Bella managed to reply weakly. "I don't know what happened. I got scared when it got dark. I don't know what's wrong with me?"

"I thought you'd rest better if the light was out," Alice explained. "I didn't know you were bothered by the dark. I'm so sorry."

"I'm not… I'm not bothered by it," Bella choked out, still feeling unsteady. "I mean, I never have been before. We sleep in the dark all the time. The room was dark last night."

"I don't know. Maybe it's because you weren't alone in the dark last night and I was about to leave you alone just now?" Alice spoke gently, "But, it doesn't matter why, Bella. If you're scared we can just leave the light on."

Bella shook her head. "That's so silly. I'm being ridiculous."

"No, you're not," Alice gave her a squeeze. "You're NOT being ridiculous at all!.. Are you cold?"

"I don't think so, but I can't stop shaking," she tried to explain when Alice looked concerned. "I felt… just now… like I felt when I was alone on the mountain. Cold and confused and … lost. The darkness was everywhere and it felt like it was suffocating me."

Much to her horror, Bella began to cry. Damn it! She hadn't wanted to do this when Alice was still in the room. Just a few more seconds and she could have spared her this. When Alice began to make comforting shushing sounds Bella tried hard to stop her tears, but they came no matter how much she didn't want them too. Turning her head she sobbed into Alice's shoulder while her best friend hugged her tight.

"It's OK…. It's OK, Bells," Alice whispered as she let Bella cry her eyes out. After a few moments, when the sobs had quieted and turned into hiccups, she asked, "Do you feel better now? I always feel better after a good cry."

"You do?" Bella asked softly.

"I do," Alice told her. "That's probably why I'm such a drama queen. This may come as a surprise to you, Bells, but I don't really hold in my emotions much."

Bella lifted her head to see the teasing in her best friend's eyes. "Really, Al? I never would have guessed that."

Her sarcastic reply made both girls laugh and Alice hugged her tight again.

"Seriously, though," Alice continued, pulling back again. "Do you feel better?"

Bella shrugged. "I feel guilty for falling apart on you. But, aside from that, yeah… I guess I do feel a little better."

"Why should you feel guilty? Honestly, Bella, you _never_ fall apart. And I do it all the time."

"Trust me. I fall apart on your brother all the time."

Alice suddenly gasped in horror. "Well, now, I'm offended. As your BFF I should get an equal amount of your falling apart, don't you think? Or, at least, thirty percent should go to me! You've been holding out on me all this time? Now, you owe me some serious falling apart, Bella. I mean it! We are talking about real emotional crises complete with irrational behavior and balling your eyes out. Understand?"

By the time Alice had finished her tirade, Bella was laughing for real. "OK, I get it. I've been thoroughly chastised and I promise not to hold back falling apart on you anymore."

"You'd better not," Alice agreed with a stern nod followed by a pinky shake. "Now, do you still feel like resting?"

"Yeah. Even more so now, to tell you the truth."

"Another benefit of crying," Alice said as she stood up and walked back to the door. "It wears you out so you can rest. I'll leave the light on this time."

"Thanks."

"I'll just be downstairs so text me if you need anything."

When Alice had left the room Bella decided to change out of her sundress for more comfortable napping clothes. She found her yoga pants and tank top stuffed into the top drawer of the dresser, probably a well-meaning attempt by Alice to emphasis that Bella should be unpacked for a long stay. She snickered to herself when she opened the drawer below and found a stack of Edward's boxer brief that Alice had hidden in there. Maybe now would be a good time for them to miraculously reappear back in his room, before he got back.

Walking down the hall quietly, Bella hoped Emmett wouldn't come out and see her carrying a pile of Edward's underwear – Oh, the jokes he would come up with if he did! She made it to Edward's room unseen and secretly stashed them back in his drawer. Still feeling chilled, she grabbed a sweat shirt off the back of the door and pulled it over her head, inhaling the linger scent her boyfriend had left on the material.

Well, hell… she was such a sap now!

The next moment, she found herself curling up in his bed and burrowing under the sheets that he had left only a short time ago. Yeah, she was definitely a sap, but she also fell asleep in no time, smiling into his pillow.

She still had her lips pressed into his pillow when Edward found her a short time later. Alice had told him that she was upstairs napping and when he saw Alice's door open he knew where to search for her. Damn she looked so sweet lying there with her face relaxed in sleep. Her nose even twitched a couple of times and if that wasn't the cutest fucking thing ever he didn't know what was. And she was in his bed, wearing his sweat shirt… because she was _his_ girlfriend. And it just didn't get better than that.

Well, hell… he was such a sap now!

Edward sat on the edge of the bed and debated whether to wake her. Jasper was already downstairs with Alice and Rosalie had arrived to wake Emmett up. He knew Bella would want to join them, but she needed her rest too.

"Baby?" he whispered softly, brushing the hair back from her face.

She stirred instantly at his touch and rolled her head towards to feel of his hand.

"Hmmm...?" she murmured without opening her eyes.

"Do you want to sleep some more?" Edward kept his voice at a whisper.

Bella rolled her head back again and started to stretch, revealing a peek of her skin just above her hip where the sweat shirt had bunched up.

Cute _and_ sexy; how the hell did she do that?

"Mmm… Edward?' she managed to ask as she blinked her eyes open. "Oh… you're back."

"Yeah. Did you miss me?"

Bella nodded. "Mm'hm."

"How did the brunch go?"

"It was OK. No bloodshed."

"That was probably best. I noticed mom put out the white table cloth."

Bella smiled. "What time is it? Is it movie time?"

"Only if you don't want to rest some more. We can wait."

"Are Rose and Jasper here?"

"Yes, but Rosalie is still prying Emmett out of bed. You don't have to get up yet."

"No, no. I'm up," she insisted, pushing the sheet off and sitting up as she pulled the sweat shirt over her head.

"You can keep it on."

"I'm not cold any more. Besides, I'll have you to keep me warm."

Edward grinned at that thought and ran his hands over her now bear arms.

"I know that look, mister," Bella warned, pulling back just as Edward leaned forward. "Don't start something now or we'll miss most of movie marathon."

"And that would be so terrible…why?"

"Hmm… OK, maybe that wouldn't be too terrible. But, it would be terrible when we were interrupted by Alice looking for us, which we both know she would."

Edward sighed and his shoulders slumped. "You're right."

"At least we can cuddle during the movie this time." Bella leaned closer again and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Except… aren't most guys supposed to hate cuddling?"

"What? Who the hell would hate cuddling?" Edward exclaimed, pulling Bella tightly against him. "Seriously! That's fucked up! Why wouldn't I want to hold you all the time?"

"Maybe men are just supposed to hate it after sex."

"Well, that is definitely something I'd be glad to look into with you."

Bella giggled at his serious tone. "Is that a promise?"

"Hell, yes."

This time Bella didn't pull back when Edward leaned in to kiss her. Instead she melted into him and opened her mouth. Their tongues stroked against each other a couple of time and they each let out a contented sigh before breaking apart.

"Moive… remember?" Bella asked, her lips still brushing against his.

"Right, right… OK, let's go." Edward pulled back and slipped his hand under Bella's knees to scoop her up into his arms as he stood.

She gasped and threw her arms around his neck before chastising him. "Edward, I can walk."

"Not with me around."

"You're such an ass," she rolled her eyes as he started out the door.

"You want my ass?" he teased, pretending to hear her wrong. "Baby, I know you do but, honestly, we can't right now."

Bella laughed. "Fuck you."

"Not _now_, baby. We've been over this."

Groaning through her giggles, she swatted his chest playfully. "I really fucking hate you."

"I hate you too, sweetheart."

By the time they made it downstairs, the other four were already seated around the TV.

"The invalid has arrived," Edward announced just to goad Bella and pretended to drop her onto the couch.

"Shut up," she told him as she bounced slightly when landing on the cushions. "I'm not an invalid; you're just a control freak."

"You're such an ungrateful shrew," Edward said with an exaggerated eye-roll as he seated himself along the corner of the couch and pulled Bella back against him.

She leaned into his chest and tucked her feet up behind her. "Asshole," she muttered as he kissed the top of her head.

"Ok, if you guys are done with your foreplay, for now, can we get the movie started?" Rosalie's amused voice suddenly rang out from the chair beside them.

"Rose!" Bella snapped in surprise; her face turning red.

Emmett laughed. "That's my babe! She calls it like she sees it."

"No wonder you guys could keep things a secret so well," Jasper joined in. "You're still acting like enemies."

"Oh, you weren't around for the really be fights, Jazzy. And there definitely wasn't any of the lovey-dovey stuff before," Alice corrected him from where they sat together on the love seat. "But, now that you mention it… maybe they haven't changed _all_ that much."

"If you guys are done analyzing our relationship," Edward jumped in pleading, "I'd love to know what movie we are going to watch."

"Dude! You said _relationship_," Emmett's booming voice accused as if it was the funniest things he'd heard all day.

"You've got a problem with that particular word?" Rosalie asked, raising her eye brows sharply.

Emmet gulped. "Uhhh… No, Rosie. Babe. Not at all."

"Whipped," Edward muttered at his brother in accusation.

"Oh, and you're not?" Alice winked at Edward.

Bella laughed and groaned at the same time. "I think we'd better stop this conversation and start the movie soon. What are we watching?"

They decided on the newest Star Trek DVD because the guys liked the action and the girls thought Chris Pines was hot. This was followed by Transformers, but only after agreeing to stop with the first one because the sequel sucked. Half way through a Michael Bay explosion fest, Bella felt her eyes begin to droop. By the time the credits rolled she had twisted around so her back was to the screen with her arms around Edward's waist and her head pillowed in his chest.

"That was fucking awesome!" Emmett enthused, standing up to stretch.

"Yeah, but now I vote for something a little quieter," Alice suggested, pointed to Bella curled up against Edward.

"Is she out, dude?" Emmett asked.

Edward looked down at the steady rise and fall of Bella's breathing and nodded.

"Maybe you should take her upstairs."

"No, I think she's fine," Edward held her a little closer. "She'll probably sleep through the next movie anyway."

"Ok, but first I've got to pee!" Emmett announced, stomping down the hall.

"Can you try not to shake the entire house while you walk?" Edward called after him in a hushed voice, pulling a blanket off the couch to cover Bella. She snuggled deeper into his shirt but gave no indication of waking up

"Don't worry," Jasper spoke to Edward. "If she's taking pain medication it will take more than Emmett's big feet to wake her up."

"She told dad she didn't want any," Alice told him. "She said her head wasn't hurting that badly today, but I think she's just being a trooper about the whole thing."

It was Emmett who started to nod off during the next film, mumbling something about never letting Alice picked the movie again. Bella opened her eyes briefly and shifted against Edward's chest. She smiled when he leaned down to her and returned his quick kiss before closing her eyes again.

The movie was just coming to an end when Carlisle came home from the hospital, loosening his tie as he walked into the room.

"Rough day, kids?" he chuckled as he observed the lounging group.

"Give us a break, Dad," Alice replied. "School starts again Monday."

"Forgive me; that does sound dreadful," Carlisle chuckled at his daughter again before turning to Edward and nodding at the sleeping girl lying against him. "How's she doing?"

"She was awake for about half the movie watching," he replied.

Carlisle nodded. "It's good she's resting. Is your mother around? I've got a bit of a surprise for her."

"What surprise?" Alice piped up with interest.

"A colleague of mine had dinner theater tickets tonight that he isn't able to use so I was hoping to treat your mother to a night out on the town."

"Forks has a night life?" Edward joked.

"Well, the theater is actually in Port Angeles," Carlisle explained. "I know it's not exactly the symphony in Seattle, but it's…"

"Mom will love it, dad," Edward assured him. "Seriously! She'll be thrilled."

"Do you think you kids can manage to feed yourselves dinner?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Dad, just go!"

"Speaking of dinner…" Emmett sat up after his dad had left the room and snaked his arm around Rosalie. "Can I take the most gorgeous girl in the world out to eat in whatever Forks does have to offer as a nice restaurant?"

Rosalie laughed. "You can be so cute sometimes."

"My brother is cute?" Edward scoffed.

"Adorable," Rosalie replied, not missing a beat, and gave Emmett a smacking kiss on the lips.

"Is that a yes?" Emmett asked and kissed her back when she nodded.

"Jasper and I are going out too," Alice informed them. "Although he still hasn't told me where."

Jasper smiled and said, "But I can tell you that it won't be where Emmett and Rosalie are going."

"So cryptic," Alice squealed in delight. "But how can you be sure?"

"Oh, just trust me. I know," he replied smugly, but broke into a grin when he saw how delighted Alice was.

"Good," Edward nodded at all of them. "A quiet house for the night is probably just what Bella needs."

"Are you sure?" Alice asked. "She's not going to think I… we… abandoned her?"

"I'm not even sure when she'll wake up, Al," Edward told her. "In fact, I think I'm just going to lay her down upstairs." Edward gathered Bella up gently and stood with her in his arms. "You guys have fun. We'll see you later."

"Edward," Alice suddenly stood up and went after him as he carried Bella through the kitchen and towards the stairs. "Don't turn the light out when you put her down to rest."

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"When Bella was lying down in my room early, I turned the light out for her," Alice explained quietly. "It scared her. She kind of freaked."

Edward looked concerned. "But, Bella's not scared of the dark."

"I think she is sometimes… now, anyway. So, just keep the light on for her. OK?"

"I will. Thanks, brat," he smiled, feeling a little proud of his sister right then and remembering why he's always loved her so much.

Edward decided to put Bella in her bed in Alice's room instead of his own in case she did sleep through the night. Being sure to leave the light on, he went downstairs to heat up a microwave pizza for himself and checked on Bella briefly before retreating to his room and his computer. Esme checked on him once before leaving with Carlisle, telling him she'd peaked in on Bella and reminding him to call them if they needed anything even if it interrupted their show. Alice came in to tell him good-bye too, saying she had also peaked in on Bella and Edward wondered how his girlfriend was staying asleep through everyone checking on her. By 6:30 the house was blissfully quiet and empty. Suddenly Edward found himself wanting to peak in on Bella too, but he forced himself to leave her alone to rest after all the visitors she'd already had.

It was just after seven when a quiet knock came from the hallway.

"Am I dreaming?" Bella's soft voice sounded as she slowly opened his door. "Because it feels like we actually have this entire house to ourselves right now?"

Edward turned in his chair and just about fell out of it when he saw her. Bella was standing in his bedroom doorway wearing his sister's cream colored robe that only reached her mid-calf with her hair mussed from sleep and pink slippers on her feet. _Too fucking cute!_

"No, you aren't dreaming, baby," Edward said, holding his arms out to her. "Everyone else went out for the evening. How was your nap?"

Bella crossed the room to sit in his lap. "How long was I sleeping? I don't remember the end of the last movie."

"Actually, I don't think you saw the beginning of the last movie. You were in and out for several hours."

"Sorry," she said with a sheepish smile, laying her head on his shoulder. "I can't believe I slept the whole day."

"Not the whole day. You went through the whole visit with your mom earlier, and you did just get out of the hospital yesterday. You're supposed to take it easy."

"Well, I'm not tired now," she said suggestively, tilted her mouth to kiss his jaw. "So, what should we do with our evening?"

Edward met her lips with his own and gave her a slow kiss; tasting her top lip first and then moving to suck on her lower lip before pulling back.

"Celebrate," he told her, running his hand down her arm and back up to her neck.

"Hmm…," Bella shivered as his fingers caressed the spot behind her ear. "What are we celebrating?"

His hand suddenly left her neck and moved to open the desk drawer behind him. Retrieving a rectangle box covered in white satin, he held it out to her with a smile.

"Happy Anniversary, Bella."

"What?" Bella leaned back and looked between him and the elegant box. "Edward, what is this?"

He grinned wider as her usual blush started to stain her cheeks. She was flustered, shifting on his lap, but her eyes were practically dancing.

"It's an Anniversary present," he told her. "It's our one-week anniversary today."

"It is?" Bella asked, feeling dumb the moment the words were out and her blush growing because of it.

This time Edward laughed softly at her confused expression and couldn't resist kissing the red on her cheeks. "Yes, it is, Beautiful. At least, it was one week ago tonight that I first kissed those perfect lips of yours and knew I could never get enough."

"A week ago?" Bella shook her head in amazement and joined him in smiling. "I guess you're right. It's been a week."

"It's been a _hell_ of a week."

"Yeah," Bella nodded, her face becoming more serious; her smile more wistful. "A week I'd never have survived without you."

"Well, I'd never _want_ to survive without you," Edward whispered sweetly, giving her a light kiss. "I mean it, baby. This week was hard, but it was kind of important for us too. Not all of it, of course, but I sort of feel like this awful, wonderful, insane week was like the start of us. Do you know what I mean?"

"I do," she told him, brushing her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. "I'm just a little overwhelmed that you see it that way too."

Edward nodded and handed her the gift. "I wanted you to have something to mark the good stuff that came out of this week. And also something from me to keep… you know… to remind you how much I love you and all," he finished a little awkwardly, clearing his throat in embarrassment.

Bella's hand was on his cheek now and her other clutched the white, satin box. Her eyes were getting teary as she watched his face turn red like hers. "You are just adorable, you know that?"

"Are you going to open it or not?" Edward replied as he shifted nervously in his seat. "It's the first time I've bought an Anniversary gift for anyone and I'm a little anxious to find out if I did it right."

Bella's grin widened as she turned her attention to her present and opened the lid.

"Edward!" she gasped, her smile replaced with shock. "What did you do?"

Neatly arranged against the lining of the satin jewelry box was a silver necklace dangling a sapphire pendant in the shape of a tear and held in place by a set of tiny diamonds.

"Do you like it?" he asked nervously when Bella only stared into the box without breathing. "It makes me think of you every time I look at it. But… do you like it?"

"It's my birthstone," she mumbled breathlessly, her eyes glued to the necklace. It was a lame thing to say at such a moment but her brain just couldn't seem to find any other words.

"Yeah, I know," Edward laughed self-consciously. "The jeweler told me it was a September birthstone when I asked to see it. But… um… I actually had another reason for picking it out at first."

"What was that?" Bella asked, her fingers now caressing the stone still without taking her eyes away from it.

"It sort of brings back my own good memories. Specifically, the memory of that damn blue sweater of yours that drove me crazy last Friday night."

Bella finally looked up at him when she heard that comment.

"It's the same blue," he told her with a wink. "And I still can't get that image of you in that damn sweater out of my head."

Bella stared at him blankly for a split second before they both started to laugh.

"So, you still haven't said if you like it," Edward pleaded.

"Are you kidding? I love it! It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" Bella gushed. "But, Edward, it's too much… it's too expensive…"

"Oh, you are seriously not going to start that," Edward rolled his eyes and put his finger to her lips when he saw her about to protest again. "Shut up. I mean it. This is an important anniversary for us. And, besides, I've been dreaming about you wearing this necklace all day. Damn, you're going to look gorgeous in it and sexy as hell too."

"Well, then, put it on me and see what you think," she relented, unable to hide her excitement. She really did love the pendant and she wanted to hold onto his first anniversary present, even though she knew he had to have emptied the bank of Edward to get it for her.

Delicately removing the necklace, Bella handed it and the empty box to him so she could pull her long hair away from her neck. Edward bent down and placed a kiss on her exposed skin, causing goosebumps to form on her shoulders, before draping the chain around her and fastening it. The blue tear-drop fell to just the top of her breast bone where the gems sparkled against her ivory skin.

"Perfect," Edward breathed, touching the stone with his finger tip.

"Thank you," she answered sincerely, leaning in to kiss his lips. "I love it. And I love you."

"I love you too, baby."

Edward moved to kiss her again, but Bella turned her head so his mouth landed on her cheek. Not discouraged in the least, Edward moved his lips down to her jaw and kissed a path around to the back of her ear.

"I have to confess, I didn't actually think of today as our anniversary before now…" Bella began, tilted her head as he moved down to towards her shoulder. "But I already had a package for you too and I wanted you to open it tonight."

"Really?" Edward's head came up to look at her in surprise. "Where is it?"

Instead of answering him, Bella leaned down to kiss him again. Her mouth was open on his and she quickly moved to deepen the kiss, stroking his tongue with hers until she heard him moan. Pulling back slowly, she locked her eyes with his and moved from his lap to the bed beside them. Edward watched transfixed as she lay down against the pillows and pulled her feet up, slipping off the pink slippers in the process.

"You should know what I'm talking about," she teased him in a soft voice as Edward stared at her lying on his bed. "You still haven't seen the whole package yet, remember? I thought you might like to tonight." She finished almost shyly, toying with the sash on her robe while keeping her eyes on his.

Edward gulped. "You mean… you're… under there…nothing?"

"I'm not sure that was exactly a question," Bella smirked. "I know how much you like my panties, though… So, I hope you aren't too disappointed if you don't see any tonight."

"Holy shit…" Edward stammered, swallowing again as he tried to grasp the fact that she was completely naked under that robe.

"So, are you going to open this and see your whole package, so to speak?" Bella held the end of the sash out to him. "I think I'll leave my necklace on, though. I'm sure you won't mind that."

An image of Bella bare body wearing nothing but the sapphire pendant against her chest flashed through Edward's mind and he nearly fell from his chair. When his vision cleared he moved cautiously to sit on the edge of the bed. She smiled encouragingly as he pulled on the sash, loosening the tie and making the robe hang open just enough to reveal a hint of cleavage. Bella lay still, her arms falling to her sides as she tried to look relaxed, even though her heart was pounding a mile a minute.

Edward paused to make sure she wasn't having second thoughts, but the look in her eyes told him she was almost as excited as he was. Slipping his fingers under the loop at the center of the ties, he gently tugged until the two ends were disconnected completely. His fingers hesitated at the gap between the seams before slowly pulling the robe open.

Bella kept her eyes on his face as she watched him take in the entire sight of her. His breathing stopped completely for several seconds and then picked up again with greater speed as his gaze swept down her body from the hallow of her throat to the pink tips of her rounded breasts; then along her smooth stomach and soft patch of auburn curls; all the way down her firm thighs to the bend in her knees.

She was breath-taking.

His eyes rolled back up her form again and his hand reached out to follow as if it has a mind of its own. The skin on her thigh was warm and smooth without a mark on it except for one small mole along the top near her hip that he remembered being transfixed by the first time he saw her in a bathing suit. Edward's fingers trailed further up the curve of her hip until they could press down on the point of her hip bone, mere inches from her curls.

Bella let out a soft moan, almost a sigh, and Edward quickly looked up to see her eyes had closed. His fingers continued their gentle pressure and Bella moaned again as his moved them up her side and across her belly-button. Her stomach quivered under his touch and he glanced at her face again to find her watching him with hooded lids.

"You're so fucking beautiful," he gasped, realizing it was the first words he'd uttered since untying her robe.

Bella smiled weakly but didn't reply. Her eyes glanced at his hand again and Edward's gaze followed hers as he moved his fingers to trail them along the valley between her breasts. Bending his head slowly, he placed his mouth above one peaked nipple and just grazed the bud with his lips. Hearing Bella's whimper he looked up to see her hooded eyes still watching him. Without breaking their stare, he slipped his tongue out just enough to tweak the aroused bud causing Bella whole body to jerk. He kissed her nipple almost reverently before sitting up and placing his hand ever so gently just under her other breast. They both watched as his hand first caressed the underside of her breast softly before slowly tracing every inch of it with his nimble fingers and then finally cupping it in his palm.

Bella's head fell back as she just felt the pleasure of Edward's massaging hand on her breast. His other hand began to softly rub her stomach, causing the sensation of butterflies inside her. Moving lower, his fingers splayed out along her pelvis and Bella once again had to watch his face as he moved lower still until he was lightly brushing his fingers through her curls. She saw his eyes go wide and he explored a little deeper between her legs and discovered the dampness that was collecting there. Swallowing down her nerves at this new experience, she tentatively relaxed her legs so that her thighs opened a little more for him. Without taking his eyes off of his hand, he slipped his fingers into the new opening at the base of her thighs and stoked backwards until he was stopped by the mattress. Bella opened her legs even wider, and his fingers moved back against her outer lips, collecting the moisture that was sweeping out of her.

By now Edward was panting and hard as a rock. "Too perfect," he mumbled, almost in pain. "You're so damn perfect… in every way."

Bella was panting too, but she found her voice and smiled. "You know that's not true."

"I, of all people, know that _is_ true," Edward insisted, looking back into her eyes with a strange intensity. "No one could be more perfect. Not to me. Not ever."

Before Bella could respond again, he quickly leaned over to kiss her. She kissed him back instantly, matching his intensify with her own. His hands came up to caress her face and neck, pausing at the chain around her neck. He broke this kiss just long enough to move his mouth to her chest where he sealed the pendant against her skin with his lips.

"This is your's always," he told her. "Just like I am."

Choking back a cry that threatened to rise up in her throat, Bella grabbed her face and kissed him again. At any other time those words might have made her smirk or joke, but this moment was too intense and she knew he actually meant exactly what he said. He was hers, and she was his…. And they wanted all of each other.

They continued to kiss - mouths, cheeks, jaws, anywhere their lips couch reach as their chests rubbed together. Bella sat up, never breaking apart from Edward's mouth, and slipped the sleeves of the robe off her arms. Edward felt the bare skin of her back as he held her and moved his hands down to cup her naked ass. Wanting a chance to do the same, Bella pulled at Edward's green-striped T-shirt until he got the hint and reached behind to pull it over his head. They immediately came together again and the sensations caused by their bare chests pressed together made them groan loudly.

Edward lay Bella back down and covered her with his body as they kissed and stroked. Bella's hands quickly reached for his tight ass but whimpered in protest when she felt the denim of his jeans. Forcing her hand between the tight press of their bodies she pushed her fingers against his growing bulge. Remembering that he was going commando today, she rubbed against the seam of his jeans even harder until she found the zipper and started to work it down.

Edward had lowered his mouth to the top of her breasts and was sucking on the soft flesh there when he felt Bella's first finger make it inside his jeans enough to graze his bare arousal. The air left his lungs instantly and he nearly bit down on Bella's skin before stopping himself.

"Fuuck…" he choked out as Bella continued to tug at his zipper.

"Off," she gasped in a desperate voice. "Take them off."

Edward's brain managed to work just enough for him to roll over so he lay on his back beside Bella. Before could contemplate his next move, though, he gorgeously naked girlfriend was kneeling beside him and finishing the job of undressing him. When she opened the button and started to tug down his waist band, his erection sprang up so suddenly it could have startled her. Instead, she found herself fascinated. Like Edward, she has seen and felt much, but never the whole package at one. He was actually quit stunning.

Watching her gape at him brought Edward back into some semblance of focus and he kicked off his jeans so they were both completely bare. For a second he worried Bella might be feeling apprehensive, even afraid, at seeing him fully aroused. But then he saw her lick her lips. And he nearly came on the spot.

In the slow, reverent motion that mirrored his own from before, Bella leaned down and lightly kissed the bulging head. She felt some moisture there and, without giving it much thought, her tongue came out to tweak it too.

Edward literally came off the bed.

Sitting up quickly, he backed away towards the headboard to put some distance between them, fast.

"Did I do something wrong?" Bella asked in confusion. She was pretty certain that would have felt good so why…

"Per-perfect," Edward panted. "Too… perfect…. Shit…"

Bella may have been a virgin, but she thought she understood now what her boyfriend's problem was at that moment.

"Oh," she said with a coy smile. "Sorry. I just… I wanted to."

"Fucking going to kill me…" Edward closed his eyes, still panting.

He felt more than heard Bella move closer to him until they were both leaning against the headboard side-by-side. His breathing started to slow, despite the intoxicating scent that was now coming from her. He felt her naked shoulder press against his, her own breathing labored.

"I want you," she whispered.

Opening his eyes slowly, Edward turned to stare into her own right beneath his. They were filled with heat and desire too and he was kissing her again before he realized it. Bella grabbed him around the neck and pulled his body down on hers. Their legs tangled and his weight on top her made delicious sensations run through her muscles. Her hands finally felt the firmness of his bare ass and she squeezed repeatedly as she felt him settle between her thighs.

More kissing; more fondling and caressing as they explored each other's bodies. Soon, Edward was hard against her core and running his length between her wet lips. This time she wanted more, though. They both did. Arching her pelvis slightly, Bella blindly tried to seek the tip of his long erection. Her movements made Edward groan and his bit her lip lightly. Bella moaned at that but then thrust against him once more.

"I want you inside me," she managed to say into his mouth as he continued to kiss her.

Her words forced him to pause briefly as he panted between his kisses. "Are you sure? Are you ready?"

Bella nodded, her mouth still attached to his, and he continued to kiss her as he reached down to position himself at her entrance.

"I'll go slow… so you can tell me when it's too much."

"I trust you." She kissed him again. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Edward said as he pressed the tip of his head against her until it started to ease inside. "I love you so damn much."

He pushed in deeper until the head was completely inside and he could feel her walls expanding around him. No feeling in the world could ever compare to this. He could feel Bella's warm, wet walls coating him and squeezing him at the same time. He was actually inside of her. A part of him was inside of her; connected to her like two part making one whole.

"Am I hurting you?" he managed to gasp.

"No," Bella said weakly. "It just feels… a little strange. Like pressure."

Forcing himself to hold still, Edward kissed her neck. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No, keep going… just… keep it slow."

Bella wasn't sure what she had expected it, but it was a different feeling than she'd imagined. It wasn't bad, at least not yet, but it wasn't exactly good either. It had felt incredible when Edward had rubbed against her core on the outside; sliding along her clit. She was amazed by the thought that he was inside her body and that, even though he was so hard, their connection felt almost soft like they were supposed to fit together. The tight feeling of him being pressed inside her excited her, but it wasn't arousing her the way she had expected.

"Ow! Wait!" Bella suddenly gasped. "Just stop for a second."

"Did I hurt you? Do you want me to stop?" Edward asked in alarm, still panting from the effort of not going even faster.

"Don't pull back," she assured him, her voice strained. "Just… give me a second."

"Bella, I don't want to hurt you."

"It's not hurting now. It just hurt was for a second. When you went a little deeper. Maybe… maybe you could move a little just don't go forward any further?"

Edward thought he understood what she meant and slipped out slowly until just his tip was still inside her. Son-of-a-bitch, that felt incredible. He pushed back inside her even more slowly, trying not to go too far and cause her pain. When he felt increased resistance he stopped.

"How was that?" he asked, cautiously.

"Actually, that felt… _nice_," she replied.

Edward tried to give her a reassuring laugh, "Don't sound so surprised."

Smiling into his neck, Bella whispered. "Can you do that again."

Edward repeated the movement of pulling back slowly and sliding back in. This time he went in a little further before he felt her body tense, signally her discomfort. Immediately he stopped and started to slide out and in again.

"Is this all right?" he asked, continuing his movement.

"Yes," she sighed.

The friction he was creating inside was suddenly arousing her in a different way. It felt similar to when he touched her clit or stroked her folds, but it was different too. It was a deeper, pounding arousal that had a signature all its own. She'd never realized her body could feel arousal in more than one way. Suddenly Edward reached between their bodies and started to circle her clit with his hand while he continued to pump lightly inside her. She was overcome by the feeling of being stimulated on the outside while this new form of arousal grew within her.

"Oh, fuck, Edward," she heard herself moan. "Oh, that feels so good!"

"It does?" he panted, a surge of joy flooding through the already intense feelings he was having.

"More," Bella panted. "Just a little more. Not too deep…. Just, um, faster."

"Oh, shit baby," Edward groaned, increasing his tempo and continuing to rub her clit.

Bella started to meet his thrusts and found her hips circling against him. Edward was sucking on her neck to keep from crying out and hoping like hell he could hold on another minute. He couldn't imagine anything ever feeling better than this and he never wanted it to end.

Suddenly Bella was jerking against him, even taking him in deeper with her own movements. Edward could feel her body fluttering and quivering against him from the inside and suddenly his hard erection was being squeezed even more by the throbbing of her orgasm.

"Edward… Edward… Oh… Oh….Mmmm….."

Bella's back arched roughly, pushing onto his erection and causing him to cum hard. His teeth bit into her shoulder and the pillow that muffled his coarse cry as his gave several quick thrust and pumped all of himself into her.

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_**AN: If you want to see the inspiration for Bella's anniversary gift, there is a link to a picture of the necklace on my profile page.**_

_**We've reached 1,000 reviews! Thank you! Just, thank you so much!**_

_**~Alexanya**_


	30. Some Painful Truth

_**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**_

_**Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight.**_

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_**AN: I cannot say how sorry I am for the long wait for this chapter. I had some personal tragedy in my own life and writing was hard for me for awhile. I hope I haven't lost the interest of you readers, though, and I hope you know how I appreciate your loyalty to this story ~Alexanya**_

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Chapter 30 "Some Painful Truth"

_Bella's back arched roughly, pushing onto his erection and causing him to cum hard. His teeth bit into her shoulder and the pillow that muffled his coarse cry as his gave several quick thrust and pumped all of himself into her._

The sound of pounding breath could be heard in the still room as they both lay with their chests heaving in exertion. Edward's hand was still resting on Bella's wet curls, pressed between their now exhausted bodies, and he turned his face into her neck as he gasped for air.

"Are… you all right?" he managed to whisper.

Bella lay beneath him, her body still rocking softly as she rolled her head from side to side. Her hand ran up from his bare ass along the plains of his back until her fingers nestled into his silky hair.

"Bella?" he said again, still unable to lift his head? "Sweetheart?"

"Hmmm….?" Was all she managed to expel within her panting sighs.

"Did I hurt you, baby?" Edward forced himself to ask, moving his face just enough to kiss her neck gently. "Please, tell me."

"Shhhh…. I'm fine," Bella stoked his head. "How are you?"

"I love you," Edward replied, collapsing his body even more against her neck and causing his hand to rub against her swollen clit above where they were still connected.

"Holy shit, how can you still be making me feel so good?" Bella moaned in reaction.

"Are you in pain… here?" Edward asked quietly, his fingers probing as he slipped out of her.

Bella sucked in her breath at the feel of his retreat, but quickly dispelled his fears when he tensed. "A little… um… raw, I guess. But not bad, truthfully. Am I bleeding?"

This question got his attention and he rolled over to lie beside her propped up on his elbow. "I can't tell for sure, but I don't think so," he replied, looking at the wetness that covered between Bella's legs. His wetness and her wetness, together. The sight of that probably shouldn't be making him hard again already, but he couldn't imagine anything more arousing.

"I don't feel like I'm bleeding," Bella continued, not yet noticing the transfixed look on Edward's face. "But you didn't go in very far so… maybe I only bled a little."

"Well, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that it felt good to you." Edward babbled, still engrossed in the site of her gorgeous body.

"I felt amazing," she told him, raising her hand to touch his cheek. "And I felt loved."

Bella was smiling self-consciously at her own confession, when she finally noticed the way he was looking at her; and the way he was slowly becoming hard against her again. His hand moved to touch her stomach tenderly and slowly traced in a circle around her belly button before moving to skim the underside of her breasts.

"You are," he breathed in reply, watching his hand touch her body. "You are so damn loved."

"I'm sort of feeling that," Bella told him coyly, a blush spreading on her cheeks as she moved her legs slightly against his growing erection. "Not sick of me yet, it seems?"

Edward moaned and clenched his jaw shut as her soft movement slipped against his overly sensitive, wet flesh. It twitched against her knee and a little giggle escaped her mouth.

"Are you actually laughing at me, shrew?" Edward groaned, the smile pulling at his tight lips almost looking painful.

"I'd never laugh at this," she assured him, rolling over slightly to wrap her hand around his base and watched as his chest expanded with the gasp of air he sucked in.

Pushing him down on his back with ease, Bella moved her mouth to his stomach and amused herself watching the muscles clench beneath her lips and tongue each time she touched a new sport. His erection grew steadily, rising up as if seeking her mouth and Bella felt bold enough to nuzzle it with the tip of her nose.

"Am _I_ hurting _you_?" she asked when Edward let out a particularly painful sounding groan.

"Excruciatingly…" he ground out in a gritty voice.

"But I'm enjoying myself," she teased him with a smirk, rubbing just the tip of her finger on his engorged head as she continued to kiss his stomach and hips.

"Torturing bitch," he grunted. "This is way worse than convincing my parents I was a bed wetter."

Bella laughed at the memory of that time in their history and the shaking caused her nipples to brush against his abs with a tingling sensation.

"Mmm…." She sighed. "I haven't even begun to torture you yet."

With a final kiss to his chest, Bella sat up and boldly straddled his legs. Edward opened his eyes to see her sitting naked on top of him, her blue sapphire pendant resting on the pale skin just above her breasts.

"This torture could be the end of me."

"Oh, I'm just getting started."

As she settled herself her upper body jostled some, causing her round breasts to bounce and the blue pendant to thump rhythmically between them. That sight put way to many ideas in Edward's mind and he began to moan almost painfully again.

"I'm barely touching you," Bella chastised with amusement, looking down to where her wetness had spread on her thighs and now his.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, noticing her pensive expression.

"No blood," she said in a hushed voice.

"Did you _want_ me to hurt you?"

"Of course not, but I wanted it to be…"

"What?"

"Real."

Edward sat up and wrapped his arms around the girl he loved. "Don't be an idiot. What could be more real than us?"

Bella let her arms rest on his shoulders and looked up at him grudgingly. "Don't call me an idiot, dumb-ass."

"There you go with the ass obsession again," he teased.

"Shut up."

"Shut up? And then what will I do?"

"The question… is what _I'm_ going to do?" Bella pushed him back down. "To you."

Edward sucked in his breath to see her looming over him, her pendant dangling now just over his throat.

"Tell me," he coaxed.

Bella leaned down and kissed him, slipping her tongue in and out of his mouth several times before pulling back.

"That was me _showing _you," she told him confidently, in spite of the blush on her face.

"Fuucckk…." Edward whispered, licking his lips and staring into her eyes. "I want you again."

"I want you again too… Right now."

Bella raised herself back to a sitting position, but Edward grasped her hips lightly.

"Don't hurt yourself," he cautioned seriously.

"Stop worrying so much. You just tell me if I hurt _you_," she tempted him, earning another groan that sounded suspiciously like - _Oh, please do…_

Keeping her eyes on his, Bella reached down and wrapped both of her hands around his hard length. She was careful not to squeeze and just lightly ran her palms up and down as he grew incredibly harder. He tried to keep eye contact with her too, but it felt so good that he had to fight the urge to close them as his breathing evolved into labored pants.

He was still watching her as she carefully rose up off of him, balancing on her knees that were pressed against his hips. He watched as she looked down at him in her hands, even smiling self-consciously in an adorable way, and placed his tip against her opening.

"Tell me if I'm doing something wrong," she whispered.

_Wrong?_ Was she fucking kidding? He wanted to tell her if she was any more perfect he'd be convinced she wasn't human, but talking took air and he no longer had any.

Taking his nod for understanding, Bella rubbed his swollen head forward against her clit and back several time, feeling her wetness increase. She maneuvered him to her opening again and held him steady there while she slowly lowered herself.

"Careful…" Edward choked out in a breathy voice that was almost inaudible. "Oh, shit… so good…."

There was tightness again for Bella, but also a raw feeling that hadn't been there with Edward the time before. Seeing how much pleasure he was in, though, she lowered herself a little further and watched his face contort in near ecstasy. The insides of her walls burned and her legs were starting to feel week, so she took her hands away from the part of him now inside of her and rested them on his chest.

Leaning forward eased her discomfort some and caused his hard length to tease her clit in a very nice way. Her pendant was dangling again and when she timidly moved up and down on him just a few inches, it bounced slightly against her breast bone.

Edward's eyes grew wide at the sight and he gasped, "Sexiest… damn… ever….Ahhh…."

Her pendant swayed as she moved again and he knew he'd never see that piece of jewelry now without having the vision of this moment come with it.

Bella smiled at his reaction, and tried to roll forward again to make the pendant sway and feel the motion rubbing against the most sensitive part between her legs. It worked and both she and Edward moaned. However, her tired arms gave out on her suddenly, and she stumbled forward on his chest. The unexpected movement impaled him deeper inside her and she suddenly felt the searing pain of her flesh ripping.

"Ah! Fuck!" she cried sharply, trying to push herself up and off of him at the same time. "Son of a bitch," she said, clenching back tears, as Edward gently rolled her to her back on the bed."

"Bella," he gasped in concern, slipping out of her as carefully as he could.

"Ow, ow, ow," she protested, bringing her knees up to her chest.

"Don't move, sweetheart. Just stay. I'll get you a towel," Edward told her in a tone of restrained panic.

"Is there a lot of blood?" Bella was losing her battle with the tears. "It feels like there should be a lot."

"I can't tell yet," Edward stuttered. "Just don't move."

He disappeared and Bella could hear his feet thundering down the hallway as he ran to the bathroom. A few seconds later he returned and she felt the soft warmth of a wet towel being pressed between her legs.

"I'm so, so sorry, baby," Edward whispered.

"No, you were the one telling me to take it slow. It's OK," Bella tried to reassure him, but she was still recovering from the shock of the pain. Mother-fucker that hurt! "I just lost my balance. I should have listened when you told me to be careful."

"Does it still hurt a lot? And don't lie to me."

"Well, OK, then… yes, it still hurts a lot." She started to cry. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?"

"I ruined…"

"Shut up," Edward said, somehow making those two words sound tender and sincere, "Shut up, sweetheart."

Bella was quiet a moment while Edward soothed her sore flesh.

"I don't see a lot of blood," he assured her. "Why don't you go take a shower, or soak in the tub?"

"A shower," Bella nodded, reaching for his shoulder to help pull herself up. She moved her legs gingerly off the bed and when she was standing suddenly felt a warm gush down her legs. "Edward!" she cried, seeing the blood that gravity now caused to flow out of her. "The rug; the sheets!"

He quickly knelt and used the towel to try to wipe away the evidence of her pain. "Ssh….It's OK? No spots on the rug or the sheets. It wouldn't matter anyway. It's all OK." Somehow he managed to stay calm for her and tried to ease her worry, while his insides were screaming: _I did this to her?"_

The two of them moved slowly down the hall and into the bathroom. Blood wasn't flowing down her legs any longer, but Bella still felt shaky and upset about it. Edward seated her on the closed toilet lid while he turned and bent down to adjust the water for the shower. She noticed how much she _didn't_ notice his amazing body that was still completely naked. He didn't seem to be noticing hers either, though, and all she could focus on was the tremendous burning sensation between her legs.

"Come on," Edward said sweetly, reaching to pull her to her feet. "In you go."

"Come in with me," Bella suddenly asked after putting one foot into the water.

"Sure," Edward nodded, and stepped in behind her.

It was like they'd done this a thousand times. Edward reached for a bar of soap to lather his hands and began to wash Bella's shoulders and arms as the water cascaded down her front. It felt good and she started to relax. Even as Edward moved his hands around to wash her breasts and stomach, his movements felt more loving than sexual and Bella found herself just leaning back against him.

When his hands reached her hips he paused and she seemed to instinctively know what he had in mind. Spreading her legs, she rested one foot on the edge of the tub and, with the greatest care, Edward washed tenderly between her legs. When his bare hand touched her she flinched slightly and then relaxed to give him easier access. He wet his fingers under the spray and moved them back to where she was the most sore; cleansing and soothing. His intimate touch felt good and reassuring somehow.

After a few minutes, she turned in his arms to hug his waist, pressing their wet bodies together as steam filled the room. Their skin felt warm against each other's from the hot water. Edward ran his strong hand from her shoulders to her smooth ass and back as Bella just rested against him contently for several minutes.

"Feeling better?' he eventually asked.

The water had run red at firsts but the bleeding had long since stopped.

Bella nodded against his chest. "Sorry if I freaked a little."

"I can't believe you are apologizing to me after I hurt you like that."

"You didn't do anything. You told me to go slow and be careful. I didn't do either. I guess I didn't expect it would really hurt that much but… son-of-a- bitch!"

"I'm sorry," Edward repeated.

"Would you shut up," she said affectionately. "I just think it will be a day or two before we try that again. OK?"

"Oh, hell yeah!" he agreed with a twinge of panic.

"Edward, it won't hurt like that again, I'm pretty sure. Or bleed, I don't think. I'm just a little sore now."

"Nothing below the waist," he vowed entirely too seriously. "Four days or maybe longer. OK?"

"Well, at least not below _my_ waist," Bella teased, trying to coax back his playful mood, and slipped her hand down his stomach suggestively.

"Bella," Edward's voice took on a warning tone as he stopped her hand.

She wasn't deterred and smiled up at him. "What? I'm fine. Just a bit tired, but I don't want to get out yet."

"You need to rest."

"And what do you need?" she asked, pretending to be shy as she stood on her tip toes to kiss his mouth.

Edward kissed her back softly but it soon turned a bit more intense when she pressed her bare, wet chest into his. He moaned lightly against her lips and just hearing it made her smile into the kiss.

"Dude, you in there?" Emmett's loud voice accompanied a knock on the bathroom door and made Edward and Bella jump apart in shock.

Edward squeezed his eyes shut in frustration before calling back from the shower. "What do you want? What the hell are you doing home?"

The bathroom door creaked open just a crack as Emmett stuck his head in and Bella was ridiculously grateful for the dark shower curtain.

"Rosie's curfew is so fucking early," he said as way of an explanation. "Want to play World of Warcraft when you get out?"

"No!" Edward snapped at his brother. "I want you to go away."

"Ah, come on. We'll keep the sound low so we don't wake up Bella."

"Emmett, I mean it," Edward said through gritted teeth. "I _really_ want you to go away right now."

"Why the hell…" Emmett's voice stopped with a little choking sound as realization dawned on him. "Oh, fucking son-of-a-bitch! You two are in their together, aren't you? Ahhhh! Fucking scarred for life, now!" he wailed.

"So, does that mean you're fucking leaving?" Edward continued to snap at him.

"Shit, bro! Why didn't you say something? Ah, damn! Why me? I'm never getting over this one!"

Bella couldn't hold it in any longer and she started to giggle at Emmett's plight, which only added to his horror.

"Stop that shit, Bells! It's not funny! Ah, I gotta get out of here!"

"That's the idea," Edward said, laughing with Bella now. "Preferably out of the house."

They heard the door slam shut and Emmett running away so fast his feet pounded on the stairs. Bella was still laughing and hugged Edward's waist again, glad to hear him chuckling in her ear instead of berating himself some more.

"You're not even embarrassed," Edward observed. "Such a wanton little shrew you are."

"You ought to know," she replied, kissing his chest. "Do you think he is out of the house by now?"

"Oh, I'd say that is a definite," Edward laughed again. "I imagine he's half way to Seattle by now!"

"Good," Bella sighed, "Because, I actually am kind of tired and I think it's time to lie down again."

"Emmett certainly is a mood-killer, isn't he?" Edward winked at her with a pretend sigh.

"I'll make it up to you," she promised with a kiss and let him help her out of the shower.

Edward wrapped a large, fluffy towel around Bella's body, rubbing a bit to warm her up, and used another to dry her damp hair. Securing another towel around his own waist, he pulled her to his side and walked her to Alice's room.

"What do you want to sleep in?" he asked, seated her on the bed.

"Hmmm… I guess I could sleep naked," she teased.

"Stop torturing me."

"Fine, then I'll just sleep in that T-shirt on the chair over there."

"Isn't this my Fenders shirt?" he asked, picking up the garment and tossing it to her.

Bella just smiled without answering him and pulled the shirt over her head as Edward gathered up her towel and turned to leave.

"You're coming back, right?"

"Just as soon as I get some clothes on," he promised. "You should probably sleep in here tonight. You know, with the parentals coming home late and checking on everyone? But I'll stay until Alice is home at least."

Bella agreed and just a few minutes later she was snuggled down under the covers with her face pillowed on Edward's chest, much like they had slept during her stay in the hospital. Edward kept his legs outside the covers for the sake of appearance and lightly stroked her damp hair down her back in a soothing manner that seemed to put her to sleep in moments. He was still suffering guilt from the pain he'd caused her earlier, but at least she seemed peaceful now.

Edward realized he must have dozed off when he heard footsteps on the stairs and saw the clock read 11:00. A moment later, both of his parents poked their heads into the room through the door he'd purposely left opened. They smiled when they saw Bella sleeping against Edward and nodded in her direction.

"She's just tired," Edward whispered back. "She doesn't like to be alone or have the light off right now," he went on to explain.

"Where is your sister?" Carlisle asked. "Still out?"

Edward nodded.

Esme crept into the room softly and came over to the side of his bed. Placing a kiss on Edward's forehead she smiled down at Bella and told them both good night. Carlisle bid them good night from the door way and Edward felt a little guilty for acting like nothing more than napping had occurred that night. He didn't like the idea of deceiving his parents, but their lack of questions seemed to indicate they knew all they wanted to know.

Less than an hour later Emmett found his way back to the house, but he ran passed the open door of Alice's room so fast that Edward didn't even have a chance to call out to him.

It was passed 1:00 when Alice got home and by that time Edward had been dozing so much that he felt like he might as well stay there the rest of the night.

"Go on, I've got this covered," Alice told him as she started to pull off her jewelry. "Go to your own room. Bella and I have been sharing this one for years and I know to leave the light on. Besides, she's sleeping like a rock so just _go."_

"Fine," Edward sighed, kissing her cheek one last time before extricating himself from her embrace and watching her setting into the pillows. "Just, let me know if she needs…."

"Dumbass, you'll be just across the hall," Alice reminded him.

"So you better come get me, brat."

Edward didn't sleep well at first, but when he eventually drifted off it was into a deep slumber. The rest of the house slept soundly all night as well, except for Carlisle whose sporadic schedule always made sleep difficult. By 6:00 in the morning he was already making coffee in the kitchen and contemplating his breakfast options.

"Can I have some of that?" he heard Bella ask as she appeared in the kitchen in Edward's Fenders shirt and a pair of gray yoga pants.

"What are you doing up this early?"

"When you sleep most of the day, it has the effect of preventing over-sleeping the following morning."

Carlisle chuckled. "I guess that makes sense. How are you feeling?"

Bella reached for the cup of coffee that Carlisle handed her and opened the refrigerator to find the milk. "I feel pretty good today," she told him. "Still kind of tired, but not sleepy. Does that make sense?"

"Perfect sense," he started to hand her the sugar bowl, but she shook her head.

"Just milk. Thanks."

"That's right; I should remember that about you by now. It's Alice that makes her coffee more like syrup."

Bella laughed. "Alice doesn't even like coffee. She just decided to make herself drink it when we got to High School and now she probably doesn't even remember why."

"That sounds like Alice." Carlisle shook his head. "I can't believe you girls will be Seniors next year. It feels like you just started your Freshmen year last week."

Bella smiled warmly at him, thinking how much of a second dad Carlisle was to her. He had always treated her like one of the family and, now, she felt like she could lean on him more than her own dad.

"Can… can I ask you a question?" Bella started tentatively, staring into the milky brown liquid in her cup.

"Of course you can. You should know that by now, I should think," he smiled warmly as he reached out to tap her chin up with one finger. "What's on your mind?"

"I need you to be honest with me. To answer me with the truth, no matter if you think I want to hear it or not. Can you do that?"

Carlisle studied her face as he nodded.

Bella took a breath and a sip of her coffee before putting it down on the counter. "Do you think that Jacob will go to jail for what he did to Leah and me?"

Carlisle's silence made her nervous enough to look up into his face. She was disappointed by the sadness she saw there.

"No," he said softly. "Unfortunately… no, I don't think Jacob will be sent to jail."

"Why!" she asked, pleading with her tearful eyes for the truth again. "Doesn't he deserve to be in jail?"

"He does, Bella. He deserves to be punished and locked away from society for what he did."

"But you don't think he will be," she finished for him.

Carlisle sighed. "You must have some inkling of this already or you wouldn't be asking me this question. Am I right? Is that why you asked me?"

Bella shrugged and nodded at the same time. "I don't think anyone else would give me a straight answer, Carlisle. I just want to know how you see the situation."

Now it was Carlisle's turn to stare into his coffee cup. After several silent moments, he looked up at Bella again.

"You weren't raped, Bella," he said softly. "And thank all that's good in this world that you weren't! But… the only real crime that Jacob can be charged with, I fear, is assault."

"He tried to rape me!"

"I know that. We all do. But physically the only evidence is that he hit you. And there is only yours and Leah's word against his that it was even Jacob who caused your bruises."

"And Edward's!"

"That's right, of course. I almost forgot that Edward was a witness the first time. So, I'd say they have a pretty good case for an assault charge."

"But assault just means he hit me. It doesn't take into account that he tried to rape us and hold us against our will and I think he might have even thought of leaving Leah for dead!"

"I know, I know," Carlisle tried to sooth her when she didn't realize how much her voice was raised. "He did do all of that and he should be punished for it. But, Bella, where is the proof?"

"You mean it is our word against his?"

"For starters…"

"What else?"

Before answering, Carlisle took a long drink of coffee and studied her face some more. Finally, he asked. "Bella… did Jacob force you to go to his cabin."

"No."

"Did he invite you there?"

Beginning to see where his questions were leading Bella hung her head. "No."

"Did he force you inside or did you go in on your own?"

Tears welled up in Bella's eyes. "I went in on my own. Damn it, I am so stupid!"

"Not at all! And I don't want to hear you saying that, young lady. Do you understand me? Unfortunately, though, a defense attorney can make those facts play in Jacob's favor if it came to a trial."

"If? You don't think there'll even be a trial?"

"They can't accuse him of a crime he didn't commit."

"They can accuse him of assault, like you said."

"Yes, but his lawyer will probably advise him to plead guilty and take probation. He is a teenager without a prior record. It is just very doubtful that he will do any jail time for admitting to hitting a girl who was with him willingly."

"Why the hell are you saying this to her!" Edward's voice invaded with the intensity of a cannon's boom. "What the matter with you?"

"Edward…" Bella tried to defuse him.

"You're the one who said she doesn't need to be stressed and you are filling her head with ideas that Jacob's going to get away with everything? What the hell, dad!"

"Edward!" Bella tried again, grabbing his arm as he stepped towards Carlisle. "I asked him to tell me the truth. That's all he was doing."

"The truth? He can't know the truth of what's going to happen. No one can."

"But he can know what he thinks."

"And he thinks the worst?" Edward glared toward his father. "Great! Thanks a lot for taking her hope away."

"Calm down, son."

"Don't tell me to calm down…"

"Edward! Don't talk to your dad like that! What's the matter with you?"

Edward stared at Bella. "What's the matter with me? Nothing! I'm just trying to take care of you."

"I don't need you to protect me from the truth!" Bella snapped. "You've no right to be mad at your dad. Especially when he's been so great to us through all of this."

Edward shook his head, still angry and now confused. "You didn't need to hear all that, Bella. He shouldn't have told you that."

"And you decide what I need to be told now? Is that what you think, Edward Cullen?"

"Don't start that…"

"Don't tell me what to do, you asshole!"

"Calm down, both of you," Carlisle's voice suddenly rose even louder than their two and it shocked them into silence. "This isn't the time to be fighting; nor the type of thing worth fighting over."

Edward opened his mouth to protest but Bella glared at him and warned him to shut up.

"Son, Bella asked for my honest opinion and I gave it to her. Would you have wanted me to lie?" Edward didn't answer, so Carlisle went on. "And, Bella, this week has been extremely hard on Edward too because he does love you, as you know. So, maybe cut him a little slack for being over-protective."

Bella smiled at that and elbowed Edward in the ribs, "See what I mean?"

Edward still didn't reply and ran his fingers through his already messy morning hair. "I still don't think you need to discount all hope of that bastard going to jail."

"Fair enough," Carlisle replied, "But maybe the idea that he might not is something you _both_ need to get used to. I know how badly you want him punished, son."

"I want him gone!" Edward snapped. "I want him locked away where Bella doesn't have to worry about seeing him or anything."

The thought of Jacob walking freely around wherever she went made Bella's stomach flip and she put both her arms around Edward's waist. Edward held her on instinct.

"I want that too," she told him. "But it might not happen, you know."

Edward just sighed and kissed her head.

"Bella, maybe this is something you should talk to your dad about," Carlisle suggested. "He would understand this situation better than me."

"She doesn't want to see her dad," Edward reminded him.

"I know, but under these circumstances, it would be more like seeing the chief of police than your father."

"Maybe you are right?" Bella admitted. "He would have more answers to our questions."

"Are you serious?" Edward asked her. "What are you saying, baby?"

"I want to go to the police station today," she told them both firmly. "I want to see my dad."

* * *

**_Please review if you haven't lost interest in this story yet. I love you guys for sticking with it and me :)_**

**_~Alexanya_**


	31. Talks

**_Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?_**

**_Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight._**

* * *

Chapter 31 "Talks"

_"I want to go to the police station today," she told them both firmly. "I want to see my dad."_

"Are you sure?" Carlisle asked. "Edward is right; I don't want you doing anything too stressful right now."

"The more answers I have the more I'll feel I have some control," she tried to explain. "Right now I just feel kind of lost."

Edward and Carlisle reluctantly agreed after making brief eye contact and gave her a nod.

"OK, we can go as soon as you'd like," Carlisle told Bella with a smile.

"You'll come with me?"

"Yes, if that's all right with you."

"Of course. I'd like that. Thank you, Carlisle." She smiled back at him warmly before turning to poke Edward in the side. "I suppose you'll be wanting to come too."

"Why? Gonna try to stop me?" he replied, turning to poke her back and then moving in to tickle her lightly.

Bella gave him the giggle he was after and pretended to beg him to stop. "OK! OK, you can come too."

Carlisle shook his head at them while his grin grew. "It's still early. Maybe you should try to get some more sleep first."

"No, I'm awake. I'm sure dad will be there already so, if you don't mind, I'd like to just get dressed and go."

"All right. I'll see you both in a few minute," Carlisle said as he exited the kitchen.

"Need any help with that?" Edward asked in Bella's ear after his father had gone.

"With what?"

"Getting dressed." His arms snaked around her and his left hand moved towards her breast until he palmed it lightly.

Bella sighed and leaned against him. "We nearly gave poor Emmett a stroke only yesterday. Maybe we shouldn't tempt fate with Alice. She's still sleeping in there."

"You could get dressed in my room," he continued to tempt her, kissing her neck and massaging her breast with more pressure.

Bella moaned. "And wear your clothes? I'm sure my dad wouldn't freak out about that or anything."

Edward stopped his motions. "Damn good point," he agreed.

Bella turned in his arms and put her own around his neck. "But we'll be coming back here together later, remember. And I think I'll be needing another shower."

"You can't help torturing me, can you?" he groaned.

"Oh, you've no idea what I've got in mind for you," she teased and rose up to give him an open mouth kiss.

Edward kissed her back and then pulled away gently. "Seriously, baby. Are you in pain today? I mean… are you… sore?"

She thought how foolish it was that she could feel herself blushing. "Yeah, a little. But… it's… um… nice?"

"Nice to feel sore?"

"Nice to _be_ sore for that reason. It reminds me…." She trailed off and blushed deeper.

"You are so damn adorable," Edward told her kissing her again. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

She hugged his waist tightly and then shoved him away with orders to go get ready.

Thirty minutes later the three of them met up in the kitchen again. The day was already turning unusual warm again, in which Bella delighted, and she wore a lose pair of jeans with layered blue and white tank tops. The tanks made it easier for her to wear her sling and, although she didn't want to admit why, she had decided she wanted it today.

"Is your arm hurting you?" Carlisle asked when he saw the sling.

Edward's guilty eyes immediately met hers, remembering how she had lost her balance the night before.

Bella blushed. Yes, that was the one reason she needed the sling but she couldn't very well admit that to Carlisle. The other reason he guessed.

"Or, is this to remind the police of how badly you were hurt?" he asked without accusation.

"Truth? Both reasons equally."

"Well, let's take a look. I think you've been using it too much." Carlisle gently removed her sling and poked around her shoulder with a frown. "Why don't you keep it on the rest of the day and try not to use this arm at all, all right?"

Bella nodded and tried to catch Edward's eye without his father noticing. The last thing she wanted was him feeling any guilt over last night.

"What is this?" Carlisle asked, noticing the elegant pendant that hung just to the top of her neck line.

"A present," she admitted with a direct look at Edward.

Carlisle gave a low whistle. "Very fancy," he said in approval. "I'm guess the bank of Edward is closed for the season?" he teased with a fond look at his son.

Edward just shrugged but she could see the glint of pride in his eyes that his father appreciated his selection and wasn't going to tell him it was too extravagant.

They drove together to the station in Carlisle's Mercedes and Bella spotted her father's cruiser as soon as they pulled in.

"I knew he'd be here," she said as the three of them walked in together, Edward gripping her hand.

"Bells?" Charlie said in surprise when he saw the trio. "I didn't know you were coming in today."

Bella gripped Edward's hand even tighter; her anger at her father resurfacing when she saw his concern.

"I came for some answers," she informed him, a chill in her voice. "Can we talk?"

"Of course!" he said, seeming not to hear her coldness and just glad to see her face. "Come into my office." As an afterthought he clarified. "All of you, come in. Carlisle, thank you for bringing her down here. And… Edward."

Edward started to tell him that Bella was here to talk to him as the chief of police and not her father, but stopped himself. It was her place to say that if she wanted to. Apparently, she did.

"Dad," Bella began as soon as the office door was closed. "I need answers about the case. I'm not here to discuss… to… to see my father. All right?"

Charlie sat down behind his desk with a weary sigh. "Whatever you need, Bells," he agreed.

"Whatever I need?" she snapped. "I need you to have said those words to me the first time I told you Jacob attacked me? I need to go back in time and have a father who trusts me. I need to go back and have you believe me _before_ this nightmare got to this point! _That_ is what I need!"

Edward squeezed her hand in support and in a gentle reminder of why they were here.

At least, _he_ was here to give her what she needed, Bella thought as she leaned back against Edward's chest and brought their clasped hands around her middle.

"I know," Charlie said. "And I wish I could go back."

"Would you do anything different?"

"Of course!"

"Only if you know what you know now, though," Bella accused. "You chose to put faith in your good-old buddy's version of the truth over listening to mine. And you'd do it again."

"I wouldn't Bella!"

"Why not? What's changed?" When Charlie stayed silent she answered for him. "Nothing! Nothing has changed. Which is why I can't go home."

"That's not true, honey," Rene suddenly appeared in the office with two cups of coffee in her hands. She put one down on the desk in front of Charlie and went to stand behind him. "Your father and I have talked a lot and we do see how things need to change."

"I'd rather you talk about your own issues," Bella said, not even bothering with a greeting to her mother.

"We… are, " Rene admitted self-consciously. "Oh, Bella! Your arm is back in a sling. Does it hurt, honey?"

"Yeah, mom, it hurts," Bella snapped. "I was beaten and held against my will and nearly raped and, yeah, my fucking arm hurts!"

"OK," Carlisle cut in gently. "Why don't we take a breath? And Bella needs to sit down."

Bella didn't feel like she needed to sit, but she appreciated Carlisle giving her the chance to calm down and breaking the tension in the smooth, gentle way he had.

"Rene, you look lovely, but also tired. Are you all right?" he asked as Bella sat and pulled Edward down in the seat beside her.

Rene smiled, knowing what Carlisle was doing. "Always the concerned doctor, aren't you. Thank you, but I'm just worried about Bella."

"Well, she rested a lot yesterday and seems to be improving," he told them patiently.

"Thank you," it was Charlie who spoke, which surprised everyone.

"We are here this morning because there are some matters with the case that are causing Bella a lot of stress," Carlisle went on to explain. "We were hoping that you could help put her mind at ease with some more information. It is difficult not knowing what is going on."

"My father said there probably isn't much of a case for putting Jacob in jail because Bella got away," Edward spoke up for the first time. "Is that true? Is that… piece of dirt… going to walk?"

"That piece of dirt isn't going to get away with what he did to my little girl," Charlie insisted. "However, jail time for it, as you said, doesn't seem likely with Bella's case."

"What do you mean with my case?" Bella asked. "Is Leah's stronger?"

"No, but there is another girl from the reservation who has come forward with Leah and she does have a stronger case. Apparently she told several friends and even her aunt after Jacob attacked her. She hadn't had the courage to come to the police until she heard about your story, though, Bells. Now she wants to press charges."

"What kind of charges?"

"For rape."

"Oh no! That poor girl! Jacob actually… Oh shit… I feel sick."

Edward put her arm around Bella and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Charlie, you didn't tell me that part," Rene accused him.

"I knew how upset you'd be," he admitted. "I mean, that could …"

"That could have been our daughter, right? You know that now."

"But it wasn't," Carlisle interrupted. "Thank all that is good for the fact that didn't happen to Bella."

"Yes," Rene sighed. "Yes, but no thanks to…."

"To me, I know," Charlie bit out in self-disgust.

"I was going to say 'no thanks to _us_' not just you," Rene clarified insistently. "I should have done more to protect her too."'

"So, this other girl," Edward butted in, still holding Bella. "She has a real case?"

Charlie nodded. "She took photos and even had an exam after it happened. She just never had the courage to press charges until now."

"What changed."

"She knows she's not alone," Bella's voice came muffled in Edward's shirt. "She doesn't feel like such a freak. Like it was somehow her fault now that she realizes there were others."

"Oh, honey, please tell me that's not how you felt," Rene pleaded.

"How was I supposed to feel, mom? Dad kept saying I was over reacting and you were acting like it was going to just go away? Of course that's how I felt. Like it was all my fault."

"But none of it was," Leah's voice suddenly came from the doorway. "Sorry chief, but they said Bella was in here and I could come on in."

Charlie shrugged while Bella reached out a hand to Leah to show she was happy to see her.

"Did you hear? There is another girl like us."

"Not like you, Bella," Rene said.

"We were all Jacob's victims in one way or another," Bella informed her with a glare that was a little harsh.

"Not for long, though," Leah said. "We are going to help put him away. Did you hear that part?"

"What do you mean?"

"They will probably ask you to testify to help this girl's case when it goes to trial," her dad explained. "They are really going to go all out to get a conviction and you girls' story and experience will help show a pattern for Jacob's behavior. But, it's your choice. You don't have to testify."

"I want to!" Bella insisted.

"I do too!" Leah echoed her. "The three of us standing against him … can you imagine? The coward will probably shit himself…. Ah… excuse me… I mean be terrified."

"I like the sound of that," Bella told her, smiling for the first time since coming into her dad's office.

"Leah Clearwater, what did I hear coming out of your mouth?" A medium built woman with long dark hair like Leah's walked into the office with an accusing smirk.

"Sorry, mom, I thought you were going to wait in the car," Leah said, turning to her.

"I was worried. I don't want you going through any of this alone."

"That's nice, Mrs. Clearwater," Bella said softly, still clenching Edward's arm around her shoulder.

"Mom, this is Bella Swan. And this is my mom, Sue Clearwater. " Leah continued the introductions, although it seemed that Charlie was already friends with Leah's father and had met Sue a few times.

They talked some more about the details of the case. Bella and Leah wouldn't meet this girl before the trial so there wouldn't be any accusations of changing their stories to match. The hearing on Monday would, undoubtedly, lead to Jacob's released on bail but Charlie was already preparing petitions for restraining orders against him so he couldn't approach Bella or Leah.

"I could try to confine him to the reservation, but that wouldn't be much help to you, Leah," Charlie explained.

Sue Clearwater had a soft voice but a strong demeanor about her. "No one treats my sweet girl that way," she said sternly, touching Leah's hair. "She will be protected on the reservation… and anywhere else she chooses to go."

Bella envied Leah in that moment. What might it have been like if her parents had felt that way when she first came to them? Still leaning against Edward, she didn't even realize she was stroking his hand until her took hers warmly in understanding. Well, maybe she didn't envy Leah in every way.

When Leah and her mother got ready to go, Bella stood and surprised her with a hug and a request to get together again soon. After the two exchanged cell phone numbers and the Clearwaters were gone, the room fell silent again.

Carlisle cleared his voice to break the tension. "When do you think the trial will be?"

"It's hard to say," Charlie answered. "But not for months. These things move slowly even in a town this size."

"Is that going to be OK with you, honey?" Rene asked Bella.

"It will have to be, won't it? I don't have much of a choice."

"The prosecutor will be in touch with you eventually, "Charlie went on to explain, back in a more police chief mode now, "But you should try to just go on with your life as normally as possible in the meantime."

Bella scoffed. "Normal… right. What's normal?"

"What do you want it to be, honey," Rene asked gently.

Bella sighed. "I can't go into that now, mom. It's… too much. Right now, I just want to stay with the Cullens."

"I understand that," Rene continued, trying to sound accommodating. "But we miss you and we've been so worried about you."

"Mom, there were days you were both so busy you didn't even see me," she reminded them.

"That doesn't mean you weren't on our minds and hearts, honey," Rene insisted. "I know we've made mistakes; with you and each other. But we love you, Bella. Very much."

Damn it, those tears were coming back to her eyes now and that was the last thing Bella wanted in this moment. "I love you too. That isn't the problem."

"Then what is, honey?"

"Why didn't you help me!" she suddenly shouted, and those damn tears started to flow. "Why, mom? Dad? Why? Why didn't you help me when I came to you? Why didn't you tell me I wasn't to blame? Why didn't you _love_ me then?"

"Bella… please…."

"No! You don't get to ask things of me now. I'm asking you." When no one replied, she went on. "I think you know why I feel betrayed by dad but, Mom, I showed you the bruise and you still did nothing! You let that bastard into our home the very next day. How can I ever feel safe there again? I don't want to be there. I don't want to be in that house. I want to be where I feel safe; with the Cullens."

"No one is saying you have to come home… right _now_," Charlie said.

Edward was still seated beside where Bella stood and she put her hand on his shoulder. "This isn't just about being with my boyfriend either, dad. Yes, I love Edward and he makes me feel safer than anyone," she gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "But I love being with the whole Cullen family. I feel safe and… and… cared for in that house. I haven't felt that way in our house for a long time."

Rene suddenly started to cry and Bella hated that those tears still affected her.

"Mom… I know you do love me, but… I mean, it's not like I never want to see you again. But, you guys have some problems you really need to work on and I just can't be there while you are doing it. OK?"

Edward stood up and wrapped his arms around Bella in support. She leaned against him, gratefully.

Once again it was Carlisle who broke the tension. "Charlie, Rene? When Bella is feeling up to it, the two of you are welcome to join us for dinner on occasion."

After a moment of silence they both nodded.

"That would be nice; and appreciated," Charlie replied with a gruff tone of emotion in his voice.

"When Bella is ready for that, of course," Carlisle added.

"Of course," Rene agreed, sharing a look with her husband. "We want what is best for Bella."

Bella suddenly felt like a heel and she tried to fight it. Her natural instinct was to go to her parents and make them feel better by telling them everything was all right. But, that wasn't the truth because everything wasn't all right. But maybe… maybe… it could get better.

"Thanks," Bella said softly, relishing the feel of Edward's palm rubbing her bare arm in comfort. "And maybe, later on… I don't know when… but maybe I can come over for dinner at home… as a family. But," she quickly added when she saw the look of hope on her mother's face. "I don't know for sure… Maybe, OK? Like, in the distant future, if things get better…"

Rene just nodded, glad her daughter hadn't given up on them completely, even though she couldn't blame her if she had.

Bella was surprised to feel Edward place a soft kiss on her temple, but she knew he was trying to express his support. He wouldn't have minded if she never gave her parents the time of day again after what they put her through, but she was just too forgiving for that which only made him love her more.

"That's a beautiful necklace, honey," Rene suddenly added as she eyed the pendent that lay against Bella's chest and then gave a knowing grin in Edward's direction.

Bella couldn't help the smile that spread on her face as she thanked her. It was the first smile she and her mom had shared in a while.

Carlisle stood and mentioned, again, Bella's need to rest. She left her parents without hugs or words of affections, but she could see the feeling in their eyes and, for now, that was enough.

When they returned to the house Bella was surprised to find Alice was gone already; probably out with Jasper showing off some skin on this unusually hot day. This actually made Bella happy and she hoped Alice was enjoying the last days of Spring Break drama free. Well, with Alice, it was never totally drama-free.

Bella agreed to take a nap when Carlisle suggested it on his way out the door to check in at the hospital. She didn't feel tired, though, and nearly jumped out of the bed when she heard the shower water running. A quick listen at Emmett's door proved, true to course, that he wouldn't be up for hours. Esme might be around, but she wouldn't disturb them if she thought Bella was napping.

The bathroom door closed with a soft click and she stepped into the steamy room.

"Thought you were napping," Edward said through the curtain in a knowing voice.

"Sure you did," Bella replied with a touch of sass as she started pulling off her clothes. "That's why you just decided to take a random shower."

"Maybe I felt like it. What is your excuse?"

Bella pulled back the curtain and stepped into the shower completely naked. "Do I need one?" she asked rhetorically.

"Holy fuck," Edward breathed, looking at her smooth body become wet under the shower spray. "You are so damn gorgeous."

Bella wanted to compliment him as well, but was too eager for his mouth to use her own for words. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed their bare bodies together as she kissed him. He reacted instantly, squeezing her against him and kissing her back in desperation. They both opened their mouths and sighed when their tongues made contact, sliding against each other as their lips moved together. They kissed hungrily over and over again with the steaming water pouring down on them. Bella could feel Edward's growing excitement against her and she kissed him even harder in response. Edward moved his hands to her ass to pull her up against him and moaned loudly at the sensation. If she hadn't been so sore, damn'it, she might have wrapped her legs around him and… another time for that.

Edward lowered Bella back to her feet and started massaging her tight cheeks with surprisingly gently fingers. She was shocked at how good that felt and moaned against his mouth to let him know that. He was harder still against her now and she moved one hand from around his neck to caress his chest and then along his stomach. She felt his muscles tightening beneath her touch but her hand had already wrapped around his hard length by the time he managed to speak.

"Baby… fuck… you're killing me. We can't…"

"Shhh…" she told him, her other hand covering his mouth. "Just be still. That's all you need to do."

With those instructions, Bella caressed his length again and lowered herself to her knees in front of him. She heard him suck in his breath as the warm water pelted her bare back. He looked even larger to her up close and she was a little fascinated, if she were to be honest.

Edward took her hesitation for uncertainty. "Bella, you don't…"

"That's not being still," she chastised without looking up at him and ran the tip of her finger up from his base to his tip, effectively silencing all coherent speech from him for the time being.

He felt so soft with rigid textures that she couldn't wait to run her tongue along. She reached out and took a tentative lick near the head and looked up to gauge his expression when he made a sound she'd never heard before. Satisfied with his reaction she did it again and then ran her tongue along the same route her finger had gone.

There was no question that he was going to die this time, or at least that is what Edward was thinking as he felt Bella licking him. This kind of death would be welcomed, though, so he put his hand lightly in her hair to give her the encouragement he knew she'd need.

Bella understood that Edward was hoping she'd continue and she was glad that, although inexperienced, she was making him feel good. In fact, judging by the sounds he was emitting, she was making him feel very, VERY good.

He tasted clean at the moment, a little salty, but Bella liked it and she tasted even more as she boldly ran her tongue over his tip. The taste there was a bit too strong, so she circled the head instead and listened to his moaning. Finally, she decided she was ready to take him fully in her mouth. She tried just a small part of the head first and gave a little suction with her lips…

Edward cried out in a near scream.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked in concern.

"Fuck no!" he all but yelled, nudging her head closer to him again without ever opening his eyes.

Bella giggled and did it again but this time she took in more of him and didn't stop when he reacted like he was about to choke on his screams. Instead she continued to suck on him as she moved her mouth down his length and back. She couldn't help but think how big he had grown and that it was no wonder she was sore this morning.

After a minute Edward suddenly grabbed Bella under her shoulders and hauled her up to kiss her face. His body started to convulse and he pressed her against the back wall of the shower as he came hard against her and the tile.

"OH SHIT… Shit… shit…" he panted as he leaned against her, continuing to quiver.

"Are you all right?" Bella asked, stroking his hair as his head rested in the crook of her neck.

"Yeah.. just… perfect…."

Bella smiled and let him collect himself for a moment. "I love you," she finally whispered.

"I love … you too…" he breathed against her skin. "I… never… just… fuck…"

"Such eloquent words," she teased as she held him. "But I think I get it."

They stayed together in the shower; kissing, touching, and eventually washing each other. Their skin was beginning to prune by the time the water was shut off and they began to towel off.

"How long were we in there?" Bella wonder. "Probably longer than we should have been…"

"Speak for yourself. That was the best shower of my life," Edward told her seriously. "It would almost be worth getting caught."

Bella giggled as she let him wrap a large towel around her. "Don't say that."

The hall was empty and they kissed once more before carrying their discarded clothes to separate rooms to dress. Bella had just finished fastening her pendent when she heard rambunctious laughter coming up the stairs followed by Alice and Rosalie bounding into the room.

"Oh, you're back!" Alice exclaimed, setting three large shopping bags down on the bed.

"How did it go?" Rosalie asked, coming in behind her.

Bella fingered her damp hair self-consciously. "How did _what_ go?"

"The talk with your dad. What did you think I meant?"

Bella tried not to blush. "I just didn't realize you two knew where I'd gone."

"Dad told mom who told us," Alice explained. "And then we went shopping for you."

"For me?"

"Alice, you're changing the subject," Rosalie pointed out. "How did the talk with your dad go? Is the bastard going to rot in jail or what?"

"It's kind of complicated," Bella hedged, not really in the mood to discuss it. "But, all things considered, I'm glad I went to talk to him."

"That's good," Alice declared. "You seem to be feeling better. I think you have more color in your cheeks, unless that's makeup."

Bella blushed again, shaking her head. "I don't have any make up on…"

"OH, HELL NO!" Rosalie suddenly exclaimed. "Where the FUCK did that come from?"

"What!" Alice yelled, her eyes following to look where Rosalie's finger was pointing at Bella's chest. "Holy shit! Where did you get THAT?"

"Don't tell me Cullen gave you THAT?"

"_My _ brother? No way!"

"Who else?"

"Let me see that. Are those real diamonds."

"I can tell from here they are."

"DAMN!"

"And that is a real sapphire too!"

"No way!"

Bella jumped back and clutched her pendant in a near-jerk reaction to protect it. "Calm down, you two."

Alice and Rosalie stopped advancing on her but continued to stare.

"Did Edward give you that?" Alice finally asked.

Bella nodded. "It was a combination anniversary present and a way to remember we survived all this nightmarish stuff together. He gave it to me last night." She couldn't keep the grin from spreading on her face.

"That's actually really sweet," Alice cooed.

Rosalie smirked and tried to tease Bella with a suggestive tone, "And what did _you_ give _him_, Isabella?"

Bella didn't answer and her face turned crimson read. Both Alice and Rosalie suddenly turned their wide-eyed stares to her, the necklace momentarily forgotten.

"What did you do?" they both demanded.

When Bella's blush only grew deeper, they gasped in understanding.

"Bella, you didn't!" Alice declared in shock.

"I'm thinking that she did."

As if on cue, Bella's stupid blush grew deeper and grin fought its way on her face as she nodded.

"You mean…" Alice stammered. "You and Edward actually…?"

"Like… all the way?" Rosalie finished when Alice couldn't speak.

Bella nodded again, biting her lip as her grin grew.

"I can't believe it! You actually lost your virginity… And to my brother!"

"What was it like," Rosalie asked, now full of curiosity.

"You're a virgin? I thought you and Emmett had…" Alice said.

"No! No way! We've only been together two weeks and I'm not rushing into anything."

"Good for you," Bella finally spoke. "It isn't anything to rush into. And you've got to be sure you really love the person. Otherwise I can't imagine getting through it."

"What are you saying?" Alice asked. "It was awful?"

"No, it wasn't awful," Bella insisted. "But only because Edward made sure it wasn't. I could see how, with the wrong guy, it definitely could be awful."

"But, what was it like?" Rosalie asked again.

"You want the truth? It hurt like a mother-fucking-son-of-a-bitch!"

"So, it was awful?"

"No," Bella sighed. "It was wonderful to be… together… like that… I know that sounds corny, but it's true. It was my fault it hurt so badly. Edward kept telling me to just take it slow. That we didn't have to go all the way for it to be real. But, I… I got a little carried away."

Both Alice and Rosalie giggled and sat on the bed opposite where Bella was now sitting.

"When it actually… broke," Bella went on, unable to look at their faces as she talked. "Oh, wow, did it hurt. And bleed! I didn't want to cry and ruin things but…"

"You cried?" Alice asked sympathetically.

Bella nodded. "But Edward was so concerned and sweet. He took care of me and I wasn't embarrassed or anything because it was him. Does that make sense? That's what I meant it when I said with the wrong guy it could be awful. You have to really know someone and really, _really_, trust them. And love them, of course."

"But you and Edward haven't been together all that long, have you?" Rosalie asked. "And you kind of hated each other for most of the time."

Bella shook her head. "I'll admit, our relationship is a little different. But, the truth is, we've loved each other for a really long time. Maybe since we were kids."

"But you tortured each other," Alice reminded her.

"Like I said, we are different. You can't use our relationship as a standard. I guess if you aren't sure 100% that it is right; that _he_ is the one and the time is perfect… then it just isn't right. So, don't rush into anything. Believe me, you'll regret it."

"Are you giving relationship advice now," Alice giggled.

"I guess I am. Sorry. I just care about both of you and I can see now how it can be bad if you don't wait for … well… for it to be right. I want it to be right for you two, regardless of who you are with at the time."

"Is Emmett a virgin?" Rosalie suddenly blurted out.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think so." Alice told her.

"Don't be so sure," Bella said. "There was a time when I thought Edward had slept with Lauren of all people."

"He didn't?" Alice asked in surprise.

"No, he didn't. I was his first too."

"That is so romantic," Rosalie cooed. "But, I don't think Emmett is…"

"You should ask him."

Rosalie scrunched up her face. "I couldn't just ask him that."

"Rose, if you can't even ask him about sex you sure as hell shouldn't be thinking of having sex."

"Maybe you've got a point there. But, I just don't know how I'd bring it up."

"No rush. Just ask him when you feel comfortable. When it wouldn't embarrass you to ask him….. Damn, I sound like Oprah or something."

"Oprah doesn't talk about sex, does she?" Alice piped in.

"OK, so maybe I sound like Dr. Phill," Bella laughed.

"I get your point, Bella." Rosalie smiled. "And thanks."

"Now seems like a perfect time to show her what's in the bags," Alice declared, almost having forgotten the shopping.

"What did you guys do? You didn't need to buy me anything."

"It was Rosalie's idea," Alice announced. "She knew some of your stuff was ruined on the mountain, and she thought we could replace it."

"Was that OK?" Rosalie asked, suddenly concerned.

"Oh!" Bella squealed in answer, looking into a pink sack and pulling out a matching bra and pantie set of shear fabric just like the one she wore the day they walked to the meadow. "You guys are the best!"

"They returned your stuff, " Alice went on to explain. "So we knew what was ruined, but we got you a few others too just in case."

"This is perfect!" Bella told them. "These were Edward's favorites!"

"My brother has a favorite bra and pantie set of yours?"

Bella blushed and Rosalie fell backwards laughing.

"Actually," Bella went on, trying to cover her embarrassment as she pulled out a few more pairs. "He'll like all of these."

"Ahhh!" Alice covered her ears and screamed.

"We got you some jeans too," Rosalie said through her laughing. "And a shirt like the one…"

"What the hell is going on in here?" Edward asked from the doorway, grinning at the scene he saw.

Alice threw her body over the undergarments to hide them from his sight. "Nothing! Get out of here!"

Bella and Rosalie both laughed as Edward backed out of the room with his hands up.

It was so good to see Bella giggling with the girls again that he didn't want to interrupt their time together. He decided to see if his brother was home yet so he could poke the bear a bit.

Even though Emmett's door was ajar, Edward knocked on it as he pushed it opened further.

"See, that's called knocking," Edward told Emmett, who was sitting on the floor in front of his Xbox. "You might want to learn how to do it from now on… for your own sake.

Emmett scowled. "I did knock," he snapped, referring to the bathroom incident earlier. "You answered so how the hell was I to know she was in there with you." He shuttered. "Blah… I am so completely damaged now, dude."

"You were already damaged."

"Funny, but I'm serious. Are you gonna be doing that shit around here a lot now? Because it kind of freaks me out."

"You are seriously pissed off, aren't you?" Edward asked in surprise, as he shut the door behind him and sat on Emmett's bed. "What's the big deal? It's not like you saw anything, right?"

"No! But thanks for putting _that_ nightmare in my head now."

"Don't be such a…"

"No, don't _you_ be such a… an ass!"

"What the hell, Em? Why are you mad at me?"

"Because you are sleeping with Bella in this house while we're in it and you don't give a shit how we all feel about it. At least I assume you are sleeping with her since you are _showering_ with her. Fuck! Even saying it makes my skin crawl."

"What is your problem? I thought you were fine with me and Bella being together."

"I didn't know you were sleeping with her!"

"Why does that… which is none of your business, by the way… make a difference?"

"Dude, do you even know what the fuck you are doing? I mean, you are just seventeen. Hell, I haven't even had sex yet!"

Edward paused at that. "You haven't?"

"No," Emmett replied defensively.

"So, is that what this is all about? That I've done it and you haven't?"

"Don't be such a dick!"

"I'm serious, Em," Edward said without taking offence. "I'm glad you haven't done it because I'm pretty sure you've never felt the way I feel about Bella."

"I think…" Emmett paused a long time and started to mess with his Xbox self-consciously. "I think I might start to feel that way... about Rosalie."

"Yeah, but you guys haven't been together very long."

"Neither have you and Bella… not that any of us ever got the whole story about how long you two have really been a couple."

"We've known and loved each other forever, Emmett," Edward insisted. "Even when I was putting frogs in her purse and she was pouring water in my sleeping bag so you'd all think I wet the bed."

"She did that?" Emmett laughed a bit. "Damn, I love that girl."

"I do too; and I did even then. Just in a different way that sort of changed over time. But, even so, I've been in love with her for ages, which is a very frustrating thing when you are enemies."

Emmett nodded, "I kind of see that in hindsight now. But when the fuck did you become the relationships expert? It's messing with my head. And that still doesn't change the fact you are sleeping with her around all of us."

"I'm not!" Edward tried to explain. "I mean, not when you guys are home. Give me some credit. And I thought you'd be asleep for hours when we showered today which… OK… maybe wasn't the best idea I've had. So, I guess I'm sorry if we were… whatever… disrespectful. But I'm sure as hell not going to apologize for sleeping with her. She's like the love of my life and if you make fun of me for saying that I swear I'll deck you."

"Are you guys at least being careful?"

"Now you sound like the big brother I know," Edward grinned. "And of course we are."

Emmett nodded. "Can I ask you something, bro?"

"I guess so."

"Was she your first?"

"Oh, shit, don't tell me you heard those Lauren rumors too."

Emmett sighed in relief. "So, that was bullshit?"

"Hell yes that was bullshit!" Edward snapped. "Did everyone think I'd sink that low? And, yes, Bella was my first. My first and only."

"You sound like such a girl, dude," Emmett laughed.

"Fuck off," Edward told him, laughing too. "Just, don't rush into anything with Rosalie because of me and Bella. Or for any reason. It's not as easy as it seems."

"It's not as easy to have sex?"

"That's not what I meant," Edward turned serious again. "You don't want to hurt Rosalie and it's not easy… making sure she's OK and all that. It's fucking scary when you get right down to it. I mean, if you give a shit about how the girl feels it is fucking scary. You can screw it up easily and then they get hurt."

"Shit," Emmett whispered. "I hadn't thought about it like that before."

"Seriously, dude, just take your time and work it out together. You'll be really glad you did." Edward laughed. "And now even I think I sound like a girl."

Emmett laughed. "You'd better get down here and help me blow some shit up fast before you start doing your nails."

"Fuck off again," Edward told him. "And set the game up. I'm about to annihilate your ass."

* * *

**AN: What did you think of these talks? I'd love to know your thoughts!**

~**Alexanya**


	32. A Prequel Gift Christmas Enemies

**_ This story is my gift to you!_**

**_This is a one-shot prequel to "Enemy Mine" that I've written as a Christmas gift to all of you loyal readers of my story! Please enjoy, have fun, and Happy Holidays to all of you!_**

**_~Alexanya_**

* * *

**_I've taken inspiration from Stephenie Myers but I own nothing of Twilight._**

* * *

"Christmas Enemies"

Twinkling lights filled every room of the Cullen's house. The main tree in the living room was covered in colored lights and those mini candles that look so real, but the rest of the lights were all white or gold sparkling like stars. Bella thought it looked like a fairy tale as she peaked around the corner from the kitchen looking for Alice.

Since Esme had married Carlisle five years ago they'd had four Christmas parties and every year it seemed to get bigger. Bella could have sworn that all of Forks was in attendance tonight. Unfortunately, that meant the troll… Edward… was lurking around here somewhere. She hoped to find Alice before bumping into him.

No luck.

"Why are you wearing blue?" Came a question from behind her; a voice she had known all too well her whole life. "Don't you even know the colors for a Christmas party?"

Bella turned around to find Edward standing near the kitchen counter watching her; his arms crossed and that smirk on his face that made her want to ball up her hands into fists. She realized she was doing just that as she turned to face him.

"What are you talking about? There is nothing wrong with my dress, as if you'd know anything about fashion." She retorted.

Edward laughed. "As if _you_ would. You are supposed to wear red or green when it's Christmas."

He pointed to his green dress shirt that stood out against his black slacks and seemed to brighten his eyes more than usual. He even wore a skinny black tie and black dress shoes and Bella hated herself for thinking he had cleaned up very well for the party.

"For your information, blue and silver are considered holiday colors and why are you so concerned with fashion anyway. Is Alice rubbing off on you? Maybe you should join us the next time your mom takes us to the mall."

Edward glared at her. He was already mad because he thought she looked really pretty in the short blue dress with silver ruffles around the knees. It sparkled when she moved and it made him notice her legs which was a stupid thing to notice and that made him even madder. What was worse, she'd worn her hair up and he'd never seen it that way before. It looked… grown up. They were only twelve. She shouldn't look grown up and he sure as hell shouldn't be noticing that she looked grown up.

"What's wrong with your hair?" he snorted, answering her insult with one of his own. "Why are you hiding it? Does it look that bad?"

Bella suddenly felt crushed. She'd been thrilled when her mom had offered to pin her long hair up this year. It made her feel less like one of the kids. Did Edward really think it looked bad?

"I'm just growing up," she told him, hiding her hurt with a bit of conceitedness. "One would think you would grow up and learn to brush yours now and then. But, apparently… not."

Edward hated her for that one. He knew his copper hair was messy looking. He'd tried using some of Emmett's gel, but it still had that wild look to it.

He shrugged. "I don't give a shit about my hair. I'm a guy."

Bella gasped. "If Esme heard you talk like that…!"

"Oh, I've heard you say worse, Swan, so shut up."

"You shut up!"

"All right, you two," Esme walked in having just heard Bella's last comment. "Fighting already? Don't you know it is Christmas time? A time of caring and friendship?"

Edward and Bella just scowled at each other.

"Why, look, Edward," Esme said in delight. "Bella is standing under the mistletoe."

"So," he replied sullenly.

"Don't you want to give her a little kiss on the cheek? It is tradition and it would make me happy to see you two getting along."

Two horrified gasps filled the room.

Edward's face turned as red as his hair and Bella's matched its hue.

"No way, mom! I'd rather kiss a slug!" he declared and pushed passed Bella to leave the room.

"Edward Mason… I mean, Cullen!" she snapped after him, but he was long gone out the back. "Well, then my son is an idiot," Esme sighed, noticing Bella was trying to hide her hurt."

Her comment made Bella smile. He was an idiot. And obnoxious and a bunch of other things she'd never say to Esme.

"It's OK. You know I didn't really want him to kiss me," Bella told her. "That would be so gross!"

Esme just laughed quietly. "Maybe you won't feel that way some day."

"No way!" Bella said in horror.

Esme laughed a little again and then moved to touch Bella's hair. "You look very pretty tonight, dear. I'm sure Edward noticed… even if he didn't say it."

Bella looked at her like she'd suddenly grown two heads… but also wondered if she could possibly be right. Not that it mattered. She couldn't care less what Edward thought of her, she told herself. She was, however, going to get him back for that slug comment before the night was out.

"Thank you," she told Esme politely. "Where is Alice?"

"She is outside near the dance floor with some of her school friends. I think she is waiting for you."

Bella smiled her thanks and hurried outside to where the Cullens had set up a wooden dance floor and surrounded it with heat lamps. The bushes and trees all had lights on them and there were even lights on wires strung across the dance floor. It was breath taking.

"Bella, over here!" Alice called. "I've been waiting for you. Wow, your hair looks amazing!"

Alice was standing with Jessica, Angela, and Lauren. Bella didn't really like Lauren, but they were all in the same class so she tried to be nice.

"You guys all look so, so… Christmas-y," Bella said with a bit of wistfulness.

Alice looked fabulous in a long red dress with a bit of holly in her short, dark hair. Jessica wore red too, with her hair flowing down passed her shoulders. Angela wore a pretty green dress and a long braid that had green and red ribbons woven into it. Even Lauren wore a very dark red, although her dress looked like it was better suited for a cocktail party than a Christmas party. Bella couldn't believe her parents allowed her out of the house in that.

"I feel out of place," Bella confessed, tugging at the silver rimmed sleeves that went just slightly off her shoulders.

"What! You look like you belong on the very top of the Christmas tree. Like the star!" Alice exclaimed.

This was why she'd become BFF's with Alice almost immediately. She could make Bella feel better about anything and with such enthusiasm.

"You do!" Angela echoed. "You look beautiful!"

The girls continued to complement each other from the side of the dance floor. They were giggling and having a good time until Lauren had to bring up a very sore subject.

"Oh look, there is your step-brother, Alice. He looks hot tonight." Only Lauren called the guys _hot_ and acted like she knew what that really meant.

"Brother," Alice corrected her. "There is no 'step' anymore. Edward is a Cullen too."

"Oh, that's right," Lauren said, like it wasn't important. "Well, both of your _brothers_ are hot. I wonder if Edward will ask me to dance."

Bella had no idea why the thought of Edward dancing with Lauren bothered her. But then she realized it would definitely bother Edward too, which gave her a brilliant idea.

"Why don't you go ask him, Lauren? "she suggested casually.

"What?" Lauren asked, looking stunned.

"Unless, of course, you think he'd say no," she baited her.

Bella knew Edward would say no to Lauren, but she also knew Lauren would take it as a challenge and pester Edward all night. That would teach him to compare her to a slug!

"Fine, I will," Lauren declared. "After all, we aren't kids anymore and I can ask a guy to dance if I want to dance with him. Why wait for them?"

"He'll say no," Jessica, who had always had a crush on Edward, tried to discourage her.

"We'll see," Lauren said ask she walked away boldly.

Bella, Alice, and Angela watched as Lauren walked up to Edward, tossing her head like a horse as she went. Lauren was one of those girls who started to fill out early so she already had a little hip to stick out as she spoke to him. To their shock they saw Edward nod his head and lead Lauren onto the dance floor.

"I can't believe he said yes," Alice exclaimed in horror.

Bella couldn't believe how crushed she felt and tried to tell herself it was just in sympathy for her BFF's obvious distress over her brother's judgment… or lack there of.

Edward stood in front of Lauren on the dance floor and put one hand on her waist while placing the other loosely in hers.

_Damn Swan for this!_

He knew Bella had put Lauren up to this to get back at him. He also knew that if he didn't dance with Lauren now she would ruin his whole night following him around like a puppy until she got her way. Better to get it over with, but he hated dancing and he really didn't like Lauren much at all either.

_Damn Swan!_

"Edward! Are you even listening to me?" Lauren's voice suddenly cut through his internal pouting. "And why are you scowling?"

"I'm not scowling. This is how I look," Edward retorted, not really in the mood to charm Lauren… and he could charm if he wanted to. Or at least all of his mother's friends seemed to think so.

"Did you hear what I said?"

Edward shrugged. "Guess not. What did you say?"

"I asked if you liked my dress," Lauren repeated, leaning back to give him a better look and managing to push up her tiny breasts with the gesture.

"I don't know, "Edward replied. "I'm a guy. I don't know a nice dress from a sack."

"What a thing to say!" Lauran chastised. "You think it looks like a sack?"

"What? No. Just, yeah, whatever, you're dress is fine."

"Thank you." Now she had something to report back to the girls. Edward had admitted he liked her dress.

After the song, and having her toes stepped on three times… the third time she could have sworn was on purpose… Lauren barely had time to thank Edward before he darted off the dance floor and back into the house.

"Well?" Angela asked when Lauren returned, being the only nice enough to pretend to care.

"Edward said he liked my dress," Lauren told the group with a satisfied smirk on her face.

Bella's heart dropped. Edward liked Lauren's _red_ dress. He must have meant it when he said blue was all wrong for a Christmas party. She suddenly felt humiliated like she stuck out as the class clown. All eyes weren't on her, but thye might as well have been and she needed to get away from the crowd before she broke down sobbing.

"Alice, is it OK if I use your bathroom upstairs instead of the guest bath down here. And, can I borrow some of your lip gloss up there?" Bella said as a convincing argument for disappearing.

"Oh, of course! Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, stay and be a good hostess," Bella tried to smile. "I'll be right back."

Lauren was still gushing about how much Edward liked her dress when Bella walked stiffly away and back into the house. Once away from prying eyes, she dashed through the kitchen and up the stairs. She just needed some time to collect herself alone but, instead, she collided with the one person she most wanted to avoid.

"What the hell, Swan," Edward barked as he stumbled backwards. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing!" Bella snapped back and she could feel those damn tears starting to gather in her eyes.

"Then where is the fire? Why were you running like that? I know your dress is awful, but that's no reason to tear it by falling."

His remark was no worse than any other insult they shared on a daily bases, but it was exactly the wrong thing to say and Bella burst into tears.

"What the hell?" Edward repeated, taking a step back from her in horror. "What _is_ wrong with you?"

"I said _nothing_ you asshole. Just leave me alone!"

"I was just trying to go downstairs. You are the one who flew into me, remember?"

"Sorry! OK? I'm sorry I ran into you!" she cried. "Now, will you get out of my way so I can get to the bathroom."

"Are you sick?" Edward sighed. "Do you want me to get your mom?"

"No." His sudden lack of hostility unnerved her even more. "I… I need lip gloss."

"What?" Edward started to laugh.

Hearing how ridiculous her statement was, Bella actually smiled a little through her tears too. "I… I don't look very nice and I thought some of Alice's lip gloss would help."

Edward stared at her. He thought she looked very nice, but he couldn't tell her that. She was obviously upset and, short of a compliment that he was in no way going to offer, he had to think of something to say.

"Oh," he muttered. OK, maybe that wasn't enough. "Well, as long as you are up here… just… wait here a second."

Edward disappeared into his room leaving a very confused Bella at the top of the stairs. When he returned he had a sloppy package tied with blue ribbon in his hands.

"My mom said I had to get you a Christmas present. She made me do it. So, here."

Bella took the small package tentatively, a little stunned but also strangely happy. "What is it?"

"Well, duh, open it."

Taking off the wrinkled paper she examined the small object incredulously. "Edward! This is _my_ MP3 player. The one I lost last summer."

"I know. But, I put all your favorite…"

"You knew I was looking for this!"

"Well, I didn't take it! I found it last month behind the couch."

"You can't give someone a gift that was already theirs!"

"Will you just listen? I put a bunch of cool songs on it for you and made a few playlists that I thought you'd like."

"But… it is still already _my _player."

"Hey, I worked really hard on that. Took a lot of time. But, if you don't want to listen to any of it, whatever. I don't care. You're taste in music is for shit anyway."

"I like the same stuff you do, idiot!"

"Which is why you'd like this new music that I took the time to set up for you but, like I said, _whatever!"_

"Fine, fine," Bella conceded, realizing that Edward actually had put some thought into his gift, even if it was a bit backwards thinking. "Thank you."

"Whatever."

"Wait here. I've got something for you too," Bell dashed into Alice's room and returned with a neatly wrapped package with a green ribbon. "Here."

Edward was a little surprised and wondered if her mom had made her buy him something too. But Rene didn't usually make Bella do stuff like that so she must have come up with this on her own… which was a bit shocking and unnerving.

"Before you say it," Bella spoke even as he unwrapped the package and turned the gift over in his hand. "I know you had that game already."

"This is the game you broke last summer," he said to himself as much as to her.

"I know. I wanted to replace it."

"But, my dad said he'd buy me a new one if I decided I wanted it."

"I know that too, but I felt really badly about stepping on it. I know I'm a bit of a klutz. I wanted to replace it myself."

"But, if I had wanted it I would have asked Carli… my dad… to buy me a new one."

"You don't want it?" Bella asked, sounding sad.

"I didn't say that. It's just… this is like a $50 game, Bella. You must have spent your whole Christmas money on I t."

"No, I just took a bunch of extra baby-sitting jobs. It's no big deal. I didn't want you to think I broke your game on purpose."

"I never thought you did."

"But, but…" Bella's eyes grew wide. "You said you thought I did it on purpose!"

"Oh, did I say that?" Edward scratched his head. "Well, I might have said that, but I never thought it."

"Edward Mason! I was guilt ridden for months because you didn't believe it was an accident!"

"Its Cullen now, remember? Edward Cullen! And of course I knew it was an accident. It always is with you, Swan. I swear you trip over air!"

"That was a cruel thing to do, Edward _Cullen_. Making me feel bad like that for so long."

"Oh, come on, I've done worse."

"Aren't you even sorry?"

"No."

"Say you are sorry!"

"No!"

"Oh, my goodness. Are you two at it again?" Esme said as she walked up the stairs to them.

"Edward won't say he is sorry for something mean he did," Bella told on him immediately.

"That's because I'm not sorry. Should I lie?"

"You should be sorry," Bella informed him.

"Well, look at this," Esme interrupted as if the argument was not taking place. "You two exchanged Christmas gifts. That's so wonderful and good of _both_ of you."

Edward wanted to remind them that he had been forced into it, but he didn't want to be sullen to his mother.

"Now, I have a favor to ask of both of you. You can consider it a Christmas gift that would make me very happy. I want you to get along, please, just during Christmas. You see," Esme went on, "I love you both very much and it makes me sad to see you be so hurtful to each other."

Well, really, what were they going to say to _that_?

"Sorry," came two solemn voices.

"Thank you," Esme said sincerely. "And I know how you can start to get along. It would make my whole evening, it truly would."

"What's that, mom?" Edward asked, both curios and concerned.

"Edward, I want you to dance… just one dance… with Bella."

"What?" Edward whined.

"Oh, no, please, Esme. That's not necessary," Bella implored her. "We won't fight any more."

"I'm so glad to hear that, dear, but I'd still really like to see you two dance just once?"

"Please mom…"

"It would make me so happy, Edward."

Feeling pretty sure his face was as green as his eyes, and noticing how red Bella's face had gotten, Edward knew what he had to do.

"OK, fine," he grumbled. "Bella, will you just dance one dance with me."

"It can be a fast dance, righ?."

"Sure!"

"I don't believe that is the sort of music being played down there," Esme offered helpfully. "But whatever you two want so long as you are dancing… _together…_ will make me happy. However," she added, turning to descend the stairs, "I won't force you. Truly, it's up to you."

After she'd gone Edward turned back to Bella. "I want to make my mom happy."

"So do I," Bella nodded. "And I think she meant it when she said it would so…"

"Soooo…."

"So, one dance won't kill us, right?"

"Right," Edward agreed. "Just don't break my toes."

"Shut up."

"You're such a shrew. You've no sense of humor."

"I do too!" Bella retorted, following him down the stairs.

They walked back outside with about five feet between them. A song had just ended and they thought they were going to get a reprieve until the tune _White Christmas_ began to roll out slow and deep across the dance floor.

Edward sighed… slow and deep…. and turned to find Bella just behind him. "OK, so… do you want to just get this over with?"

"Yeah," she said, and reached down to take his hand."

"What are you doing?"

"I don't know? Aren't you going to walk me to the dance floor?"

"We don't have to hold _hands_ too!" But Edward didn't let go and felt her warm fingers curl around his.

She was scared, he realized, and he suddenly remembered just how klutzy Bella really was.

"Do you even know how to dance?" He asked without malice. Her terrified expression told him his answer. "Don't worry about it. Just sway to the music and I won't move us around much. Hell, you don't even have to move your feet if you really don't want to."

"I'll look like a statue," she said in distress.

"Well, OK, move them just side to side a little. That's all you've gotta do. OK?"

"OK," she answered meekly, which she never usually sounded, and gripped his hand tighter.

Shit, he was going to have to pull out there behind him and look like he actually _wanted_ to do this.

"Come on," he said with a tug. "Just don't puke on me or anything."

"Shut up."

Edward led Bella out on to the dance floor, just to the edge, and turned her to face him. He was about to put his hand on her waist when she suddenly put her arm around his neck and pulled herself against him.

"Don't let me fall," she whispered.

Edward couldn't respond. He was too stunned by the feel of her small body against his. When the hell did Bella get breasts?

His hand automatically went to the small of her back and he felt the silkiness of the blue fabric and the warmth of the skin beneath it.

"Just sway," he told her, raising their clasped hands and moving with the music.

Her feet stayed stuck to the floor, but she did move a little… and move against him.

What the hell was this? It felt… nice? No. No way. He was just feeling sorry for her for once.

"Pick up your feet," he told her. "You don't have to step with them, just pick them up as you sway and put them back down."

"OK," she said obediently, relaxing into the music a bit and moving with Edward.

It felt really strange to be pressed up against his chest like this. It made her feel safer, like she wasn't going to end up flat on her face, but he also felt strangely solid beneath his fresh cotton shirt. He smelled good too, which was a huge surprise. Bella had gone through a bit of a growth spurt so she was almost as tall as he was and her chin came just to the top of his shoulder. She could smell some sort of cologne against his collar and she couldn't resist turning her head just a bit to smell a little bit more.

Edward was starting to feel unnerved. His cheek was level with Bella's ear and he was focusing on not getting to close that it would actually touch her. With her hair pulled up like this he realized for the first time how long and slim her neck was. Could a neck be pretty? Well leave it to her to have a strange body part actually be pretty.

The real problem, though, was that wonderful smell of strawberries and something else sweet. He loved it and looked around for just a moment to find the source when he realized it came from Bella. More specifically it came from her hair. He wanted to smell it, but he couldn't let himself get any closer or it would be even more awkward than it already was.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked when she heard Edward sniffing. "Do you have a cold? I swear if you get me sick…"

"I don't have a cold. Thanks for being so concerned," he retorted sarcastically.

"Then what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing! I was just smelling your hair." Oh shit, did he really just say that?

Bella was stunned "My hair?" Edward Cullen was smelling her hair?

"What? What's the big deal?" He tried to cover. "I like strawberries."

"I… I use a strawberry scented shampoo," she said lamely, still in shock.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that was it. Duh, Swan."

"Well, I… uh… like the cologne you are wearing tonight. You smell better than usual."

"You usually go around smelling me?" he teased.

"Shut up! You know what I mean."

"Yeah, you mean you like smelling me," he went on, glad to have the upper hand again."

"No! I mean you usually are easy to smell because you stink like a troll. Tonight it just happens that you don't."

"Whatever. The song has stopped."

"What," Bella suddenly realized they were standing at the edge of the dance floor not moving. "Oh,"

Embarrassed, Edward dropped her hand and stepped back. He wouldn't admit to himself that he missed the feel of her warmth against him for just a second.

"Well, OK, I guess that's it."

"We made Esme happy."

"Right. Good." Edward suddenly felt awkward and looked down at his shoes.

"So, uh, guess I'll go find Alice." Bella said. "So, um… Merry Christmas, Edward."

Edward looked up then and smiled. "Merry Christmas, Shrew. Thanks for not breaking my toes."

"Shut up."

* * *

_**A/N: May all of your Holiday seasons be filled with laughter and joy!**_

_**~Alexanya**_


	33. A Happy Ending Is A Good Start

**Summary: Edward and Bella have grown up hating each other. Can being forced to **

**spend one HOT Spring Break together change all of that?**

* * *

**_Disclaimer: I took inspiration from Stephenie Meyer, but I do not own anything of Twilight._**

* * *

**__AN: I apologize from the bottom of my heart that it took me so long to finish this story. Thank you for sticking with me!**

Enemy Mine

Chapter 32: "A Happy Ending is a Good Start"

"_Fuck off again," Edward told him. "And set the game up. I'm about to annihilate your ass."_

"If I were your mother," Carlisle said from the other side of the door. "I think someone would owe the swear jar about… oh, three dollars at least. May I come in, boys?"

"Sure dad! And it was Edward doing the swearing," Emmett added as his father came in the room.

"And I'm sure you haven't used a single curse all day, son?"

Edward laughed sarcastically and Emmett just shrugged.

"I thought you were spending the day at the hospital?" Edward asked.

"No, I just had a few patients to check in on, but I have a patient to keep an eye on here too."

"Bella? Is she OK?"

"I didn't see her. Based on the sound of laughter coming from your sister's room, I'd say she is just fine. Relaxing with her friends like that is good for her."

"Friends?" Emmett asked.

"Rosalie is over there too." Edward informed him.

"Why didn't you say something, dude? " Emmett asked, jumping up.

"I thought you knew," Edward defended himself as his brother barreled out of the room. "I thought we were going to play!"

"I'll play the game with you, son," Carlisle offered.

"Uh… I don't think you know how to play this one, dad."

"A little more advanced than Dig Dug, I guess. Right?"

"Dig what?"

"Never mind, son. I was just having an 80's flashback," Carlisle laughed to himself. "But I did want to talk to you alone, so now might be a good time."

_Shit!_ _Here it comes._

"Don't look like a deer caught in the headlights, Edward. You're not in trouble."

That didn't really help and Edward still had to force himself to swallow before he spoke. "What did you want to talk to me about, dad?"

"About Bella."

Deer caught in headlights look returned.

Carlisle laughed this time. "Calm down son. I just wanted to let you know that if you want to talk about anything… _anything…_ I hope you will come to me. I promise to try not to lecture you. I just want you to have an outlet if things get… confusing… and you need an ear. No judgment."

"But, you're my dad," Edward stammered, trying not to be embarrassed that his father was obviously alluding to questions of a sexual nature.

"And I'm a doctor. And I'm not blind. I know you and Bella are… close."

"Oh, hell, dad… I mean, sorry… Oh heck! Do we have to have this _talk_?" Edward pleaded.

"No _talk_, son. I swear. Just, know that you can come to me and I'll listen and that's all. OK?"

"Seriously? That's all?" he asked incredulously.

"I have no doubts that you love Bella, Edward. And that really is the most important thing. You two love each other and you'll take care of each other so… you two will be OK."

"Wow. Why do I feel I should thank you for being the coolest dad ever?"

"Don't. I plan to tell your mother you now owe the swear jar four dollars. She is really serious about curbing you kids' vocabulary."

"Well… crap. That one is OK, right?"

"Yes, I think that word is on the borderline but we won't count it.

"Thanks, dad. I mean… really… thanks."

Carlisle just nodded as a timid knock sounded at the door.

"Am I interrupting?" Bella asked as she poked her head in from the hallway.

"Not at all. Come in," Carlisle encouraged her. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she told him, stepping further into the room. "Emmett came barreling in a moment ago and announced 'girl time' was over."

Both father and son frowned a little, but Bella waved it off. "It was fine, really. Alice had been ignoring Jasper's last three texts already and I know it was driving her crazy. What are you playing?"

Carlisle laughed. "I'm apparently too old for this one," he told her. "How is your arm feeling? You took your sling off again."

"It feels better, actually," Bella assured him. "But I'll go put the sling back on if you think I should."

"No need to if it's not hurting. In fact, why don't you sit down and see if you can teach my son a thing or two about this game he thinks is so difficult."

"Don't joke," Edward said, "She's good at this one. She probably will beat me."

"How would you know? You've never played against me before."

"Of course not… I wasn't willing to LOSE to you before."

"Oh, and you are now?"

Edward grinned. "I didn't exactly say that. Prepare to be schooled, Swan."

"Oh, please, you are SO going down, Cullen," she shot back, sitting down beside him and picking up the controller.

Neither of them even heard Carlisle's laugh as he left the room. It was battle time, and no one was taking prisoners.

An hour later, Bella was leading by several points and her thumbs were beginning to chaff. Edward didn't show signs of slowing down, though, and quitting first was not her style.

"You know," she said casually, without missing a beat of the game. "It's been awfully quiet out there. And Emmett never came back to his room. Maybe everyone is gone."

"I doubt it," Edward kept his eyes on the screen as he scored several bonus points that made Bella curse internally.

"So, where is everyone?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"I just wondered if there was the chance that we were… alone?"

With that last word Edward glanced slightly her way, causing himself to make a crucial mistake in the game. Before he could cry foul or even swear at the controller, Bella tossed hers aside and quickly moved to straddle his lap. Edward gasped, his controller rolling to the side as his hands instinctively gripped her hips.

"Wouldn't it be a shame if we were all alone and we used the time to play a video game?" she teased him.

"Are you just saying this because you are losing?"

"I was winning," she insisted, her lips hovering over his as she moved closer. "But, if you'd rather keep playing the game…"

Edward moved his hands up her back and pressed her forward so their chests were crushed together.

"Does that mean 'no'?" Bella managed to ask a second before Edward's lips claimed hers in a heated kiss.

She opened her mouth and let his tongue move in first as she moaned around it; moving her own against his in a deliciously slow manner.

"Maybe we should take this outside of Emmett's room," Edward said, reluctantly breaking apart.

"Good idea. I think he's been through enough for one day," she agreed, rolling off of his lap and getting to her feet. "Any chance we can make it to your room unseen?"

"Doubt it, unless we really are alone in the house."

"Hmmm…." Bella said, opening the door a crack. "I still don't hear anything. Maybe they all did leave."

"My luck isn't that good…"

As if on cue, Emmett's booming voice carried from the bottom of the stairs. "Edward! Bella! Come eat!"

"Damn," Edward muttered.

"Actually, I'm kind of starving," Bella confessed with a guilty look.

"Really?" Edward asked, immediately brightening. "Well, that's music to my ears, baby. Let's go eat!"

Descending the stairs they could hear Esme chastising Emmett about yelling in the house and they both turned a little red when Emmett's defense was that he wasn't about to risk interrupting the love birds.

"He didn't say 'again' at least," Bella whispered, letting go of Edward's hand as they entered the kitchen.

"There you two are," Esme smiled as she handed a large bowl of salad to Emmett.

"What's all this, mom?" Edward asked.

"I made us a nice lunch to have outside. We don't often get such a beautiful day to enjoy together like this."

She motioned for them to follow her out the back door where Alice, Rosalie, and Jasper were already sitting at the patio table.

"Hey Jazz," Edward waved. "I didn't know you were here."

"Alice sent me a text saying your mom wanted me to come over for lunch," he explained. "You're too much, Mrs. Cullen. This all looks great."

"He's right," Rosalie agreed, nodding to the fried chicken and fresh fruit already on the table. "You're like Super-Mom, Mrs. Cullen. I may never leave."

Bella smiled at that, knowing exactly how Rosalie felt. She immediately began to feel guilty, though, as if she was betraying her own mother somehow.

"I just like to see my kids happy… that's all any mother wants," Esme replied, slipping an arm around Bella's waist and smiling at her as if she could read her thoughts. "If our kids are happy, that makes us happy."

Bella smiled back at her gratefully, knowing she was trying to say that Rene would want her to relax and enjoy her time with them. Sometimes it was like Esme could read their minds or something and Bella vowed to herself to try, but the guilt was still churning her stomach a bit. Old habits really did die hard. Sitting down next to Edward she focused on the food in front of her and remembered suddenly that she was hungry.

Carlisle was the last to take his seat, coming quickly out the back door in a short sleeved polo and eyeing the massive amount of food on the table. "Well, is the army ready to eat?" he teased, "Because that's what it looks like your mother cooked for."

"Bella is!" Edward smiled. "She's starving."

"Is that so?" Carlisle grinned.

"Yup! Starving," she agreed with a broad smile of her own, knowing it would please them both.

As it turned out, everyone was starving and they eagerly began passing the food around the large table. The sun was bright and warm on their little group and Bella couldn't seem to keep the smile from her face as she listened to the chatter and stuffed herself with chicken and potato salad. Edward caught her grin as she laughed at one of Emmett's jokes and mouthed the word "beautiful" to her from behind his napkin.

"So, how are you guys going to handle it?" Rosalie asked pointedly .

"What?" Edward asked, realizing he'd missed the first part of her question because he was watching Bella blush in response to him.

Rosalie didn't seem to notice his distraction and asked again, "How are you and Bella going to handle going back to school? "

"What do you mean?" Bella asked.

"Now that you are an official couple," she explained. "If it is anything like my school, the gossip hounds will be nipping at your heals before you can get to your first class."

Bella scrunched up her face in confusion. "I doubt it will be like that. How will they even know?"

Alice and Rosalie looked at each other and back at Bella incredulously, and even Jasper glanced up in surprise.

"What do you mean, Bells?" Alice asked.

"It's not like we have to make some grand announcement that we're together," Bella explained. "Right? I mean, people will just find out as time goes on."

Another shocked look passed around the table before Alice cleared her throat and said gently. "Bella… everybody already knows."

Bella gasped in surprise. "What? How could they? Alice, you didn't…"

"It wasn't Alice," Rosalie explained, looking at Edward accusingly. "Didn't you tell her this part?"

"What part?" he asked, seemingly as confused as Bella.

"The part where you pretty much declared your undying love for her in front of the better part of the Forks High School student body," Emmett was more than happy to explain. "_That_ part, dude."

"You did what?" Bella declared, half horrified and half elated.

Edward looked back at his brother and shook his head. "_I _ did that? When?"

"At the hospital, Edward," Alice picked up the explanation. "When dad came out and said that Bella was asking for you and Charlie tried to keep you from seeing her…."

Edward nodded. "Yeah, I remember that part."

"Do you also remember that half the school was in the waiting room at that time?" Jasper joined in asking.

"I… I guess I wasn't thinking about…."

"And they all overheard the conversation?" Bella interrupted. "And they heard that I was asking for Edward?"

Alice nodded. "They heard that Edward was the only person you wanted to see. And they saw him just about take a swing at the chief of police to get to you."

"Edward, what all did you say?" Bella asked in genuine curiosity.

"Um, I don't exactly remember everything. I think I said something like…."

"He kept yelling, 'Take me to her! Take me to her now, damn'it!" Emmett happily replied for him, over-dramatizing it just a bit. "And Alice added something about how Charlie shouldn't keep you apart."

Bella's eyes were wide now. "You're joking? Who all heard?"

"Well, Jessica was there… so…"

"So, the whole world has heard by now," Bella finished knowingly. Then she surprised everyone with a laugh. "I can't even imagine what her face must have looked like when she listened to all of _that!_"

The entire table started laughing with her.

"Oh, it was a sight to see, I'm sure," Alice agreed. "I wish I'd paid attention at the time."

"That's OK," Bella informed her, "It sounds like you were busy defending us. So, thanks for that."

"At least we don't have to wonder what people will be thinking on Monday," Edward pointed out.

"True," Bella agreed. "That will make it easier. There won't be so many questions."

"I doubt that!" Alice shook her head. "People will still be asking questions. You two are the hottest gossip in town now."

"Even if that's true…"

"Oh, it's true!"

"Still," Bella protested. "We aren't exactly _new_ news… people will be at school expecting to see us together. So, a few whispers is no big deal."

"I think you might stir up more than a few but as long as it doesn't bother you guys…"

"Why should it bother us?" Edward asked with a grin.

"And if they are talking about _us_," Bella added, "they won't be talking about the case and everything that happened on the mountain. I'd rather people gossip about me and Edward than ask about that."

Edward put his arm around Bella in concern and the others just nodded.

"Do you think you'll feel up to going to school on Monday?" Carlisle asked her. "That only gives you one more day to rest up."

"Dad's right," Edward said, "You don't have to go back just because Spring Break is over."

"I can give you a doctor's note," Carlisle assured her.

"Thanks, but I think I'm going to want to go to school with everyone else. Something normal might be kind of nice."

"Don't tell me you are looking forward to the end of Spring Break," Emmett said in horror. "That's blasphemy!"

"Em, do you even know what blasphemy is?" Bella asked.

"It's something that just isn't right," he declared. "Like looking forward to school."

"I wouldn't go that far. I just said I didn't want to be left behind when the rest of you go back," Bella shook her head at him.

"I still don't get it," he shook his head at her in return.

They stayed at the table talking for a long time after lunch was finished. Eventually, Carlisle had to take a call so the rest of them helped Esme clear the table, proclaiming her Super-mom again before she shooed them back outside for more fresh air.

"I can't even imagine going back to school if the weather is like this," Alice announced, stretching out on a chase lounger like a cat in the sun.

Bella lay against Edward in another lounger, her leg draped slightly over his and her arm around his waist while his hand rubbed circles on her bare shoulder.

"Good thing we don't live in California, then, or you'd be skipping all the time," Emmett teased from where he sat with his arm around Rosalie. "You miss enough school when there is a big sale as it is."

Bella laughed without opening her eyes and felt Edward's chest rumble beneath her as he joined in. The afternoon felt warm and peaceful … and most of all safe. It felt the way she'd imagined a perfect Spring Break day to be, only better.

Not even the call from her parents that came a little later could disrupt Bella's mood. When Esme stuck her head outside the back door and called to Bella that her mother was on the phone, she felt Edward's body tense instantly. Bella just gave him a reassuring smile before getting up to take the call, amazed herself that she wasn't bothered by the interruption.

"Mom?" she spoke into the kitchen phone. "Is everything all right?"

"Oh, everything is fine, honey," Rene replied. "I was just thinking that you might need a few extra things from the house before school starts next week. I did your laundry so everything would be clean for you. And, I promise, nothing was shrunk in the dryer… this time."

"Um, thanks, mom. I actually hadn't even thought about that," Bella told her, surprised at her mom's thoughtfulness. "I guess I could come over and get a few things tomorrow."

"Well… that was the other reason I called," Rene went on. "I wanted to let you know that your father and I may be out of town tomorrow. That is, you see, there is an art show in Seattle that I had been planning to go to this weekend. I forgot all about it until today but… well… you're never going to believe this, honey, but your father offered to go with me tomorrow if I still wanted to see the exhibit."

"Charlie at an art show?"

"I know, it's not something I thought I'd ever see either, but I think this is his way of trying," she said softly. "It's a start, anyway."

Bella felt a grin spread across her face. "Yeah, it is definitely a change for him."

"Oh, but, we don't have to go," Rene assured her quickly. "If you need us here, Bella, we can stay in town…"

"No, no," Bella told her. "You and dad go. Have a nice time. I'll have Edward take me by the house to get some things tomorrow so you don't have to rush to be home for me. I mean, who knows how long it will be before you get dad to another art show?"

Rene laughed and Bella laughed with her. It felt nice.

That night as she lay again in Edward's arms, Bella recounted to him the conversation she'd had with her mom.

"Charlie at an art show?" Edward repeated to her as if he was having trouble wrapping his head around the idea.

"I know," Bella laughed, her chin resting just above his stomach as she looked up at him. "I think he is trying to figure out _how_ to try with mom. It's actually kind of sweet."

Edward's hand cupped her cheek before moving back through her hair. "Do you think they'll make it work?"

Bella shrugged. "I don't know, but at least they are both still willing to try. It's out of my hands so, I promise you, no more trying to fix things for them."

"Why are you promising me that?"

"Because I know that I get myself all worked up over their issues and that makes you worry about me. So, I'm going to try to stay out of it from now on. I mean, I'm not saying that I won't be affected at all by what happens to their marriage, but I promise I'm not going to … to…"

"To stress out over it as much?"

"Exactly!"

Edward leaned down to kiss her. "You're amazing," he told her.

"You're just saying that because you love me," she teased.

"Yes, I do," he told her between kisses as he rolled her over on her back.

"I love you too," Bella said against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him harder.

When she had first snuck into his bedroom, leaving behind a snickering Alice with a knowing look in her eyes, they had agreed on sleep only for the night. So far they hadn't pressed it further than some kisses and cuddling, but things were quickly getting heated now as they kissed each other hungrily. Bella ran her hands down Edward's bare back and clutched her fingers around his tight ass. He moaned and the hand that had already snaked its way under her nightgown grew bolder until he was caressing the soft skin of her breast.

"We should stop," Bella moaned, even as she wrapped one leg around the back of his thigh and arched up against him. "Or not."

Edward kissed the side of her neck and sucked on the skin there. His body started rocking against hers even as he tried to mumble an agreement to her. "Too soon for you…"

"Too many people in the house…" Bella panted.

"Need to stop…"

"Yes…"

Their mouths met again, warm and wet, and they both sighed in bliss when they felt their tongues touch. Bella pushed until they rolled over again, now facing each other on their sides. Edward's hand moved from beneath her gown to pull her leg over his waist but Bella stopped him.

"We really do have to stop while we still can," she said in a rush.

Edward swallowed and forced himself to let go of her leg. "Sorry. I got carried away."

"Like you were the only one?" Bella smiled.

"You are still too sore… it's too soon for you…"

"I don't know about that, but it just doesn't feel right when everyone is home."

Edward just nodded and lay back against the pillow. He held out his arms and motioned for Bella to slide into them.

"Are you sure?"

"I'll suffer the torture of restraint for a chance to wake up with you in my arms."

Bella grinned like an idiot. "Sometimes you just say the sweetest things."

When morning came she was still in Edward's arms and, he was right, it was totally worth it. The sun peeked through the closed blinds, casting a golden glow across the bare skin on his chest, and Bella couldn't resist planting tiny kisses on his collar bone until her began to stir.

"Morning, baby," he mumbled without opening his eyes.

"Good morning," she replied, kissing his neck as she felt his arms tighten around her. "How did you sleep?"

"Not so great, but the waking up part was worth it."

"I'm sorry," Bella looked up at his face, just inches from her own. "Did I keep you up? I don't remember having any bad dreams."

"It didn't seem like you did. You seemed peaceful."

"Then, what? You just like watching me sleep?"

"Something like that, yeah."

"Did I snore?"

Edward smiled, "No, you didn't snore. You drooled a little, but…"

"Oh, shit, did I really?" Bella gasped in horror.

"No," Edward started laughing. "You didn't, but you should have seen your face just now."

"Shut up!" Bella smacked his chest lightly. "You're an asshole, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know," he kept laughing, "But you can't help but love me."

"Shut up," she said again, just before he pulled her down for a kiss. "I should go back to Alice's room."

"Why?" Edward whined so dramatically it made Bella laugh.

"Because it's morning and, even though they all probably suspect it, I don't think we should flaunt the fact I spent the night in your bed to the entire household. "

Edward pouted. "But it's still early."

"All the better for not getting caught," Bella said, sliding up to her knees and leaning down for a final kiss. "Go back to sleep for now and we can meet up for breakfast later."

Edward was still pouting and made a half-hearted grab for her that she easily avoided before slipping out the door.

The house was completely quiet, as she'd expected, and Bella tried to open the door to Alice's room as softly as possible. Alice was curled up motionless in her bed as Bella eased the door closed and tip-toed across the floor. She was just easing herself under the covers when the bed springs creaked and Alice rolled over.

"Bella? Is that you?"

"Sorry, Al," Bella whispered apologetically. "I tried to be quiet. Go back to sleep."

"Is everything OK?"

"Yeah, I just thought… you know… I should wake up in here."

"But it's morning," Alice questioned in confusion, now sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah, but it's early."

"Mom and dad aren't going to check up on you guys, you know? You could have stayed in Edward's room."

"I'd rather not risk an uncomfortable situation if they did, though. And, besides, I'm trying to be respectful."

Alice giggled and reached over to turn on the light beside her bed. "Respectful?"

"Why is that funny? And why did you turn the light on?"

"Because I'm awake now."

"So, is this us talking now? No more sleep?"

"If you wanted to sleep you should have stayed in Edward's room and not woken me up. Seriously, why did you think you had to come back in here so early when everyone assumes you are sleeping in there anyway?"

Bella sat up and faced Alice. "Why is this so hard for people to understand? I don't want to flaunt things in front of your parents. Or you and Emmett for that matter. Poor guy has seen enough."

"What? What has Emmett seen?"

Bella's blush was bright enough to see in the dim light. "He walked in on us in the shower."

"Walked in on which of you?"

"Both of us."

"You were both in the shower… together!"

"Holy shit, Al, say it a little louder," Bella hissed. "I'm not sure you woke the _whole_ house yet."

"Holy shit, Al? How about, 'Holy shit, Bella!' You two were in our shower together and you are worried about over-sleeping in his room?"

"Shhh….." Bella hushed her, throwing a pillow at her face for affect. "It was one time of bad judgment that I'd rather not repeat. Better to be overly discreet than … get carried away again."

Alice giggled. "Boy, when you and Edward get carried away you go all out."

"I'm glad you find it so funny. I think poor Emmett is going to need therapy to get over it." This only made Alice laugh harder and eventually Bella couldn't stop from laughing with her. "Do you get it now? I'm just trying to be respectful."

"So does that mean you two weren't going at it last night?" Alice asked bluntly.

"With everyone in the house? Hell no! Give me some credit, Al!"

"Well… you were in the shower…"

"When we thought no one was around! And I told you already that was a bad idea."

"OK, ok, I get it." Alice held up her hands.

"Good. Now, can we go back to sleep?"

"But, now I'm hungry."

Bella just groaned and tried to cover her head with a pillow. Alice eventually won out, though, and dragged her downstairs to make pancakes for everyone. By the time they were finished, the smell had even brought the guys down stairs.

"What's all this?" Esme asked, entering the kitchen to see the four of them gathered around the counter.

"Bella and I made breakfast!" Alice proudly announced. "But I think we are going to have to make some more because Emmett has already eaten half of them."

"Hey, I'm just trying to let you know they taste good," Emmett defended himself as syrup dripped down his chin. "It's a compliment."

"Eat up, Em," Bella smiled and patted his arm. "I'll make plenty more."

"I could get used to this," Edward shared a grin with his brother as he put another pancake on his plate.

"Well, don't!" Alice warned. "This is a just an End-of-Spring-Break treat."

"You mean you aren't going to cook like this every morning?" Edward pretended to pout.

"You wish!" Bella teased, stealing a bite from his plate.

"So, what do you kids have planned for the last day of your break?"

"I can't believe it's our last day," Emmett whined. "I guess I'll go over to Rosalie's since I probably won't get to see her much until next weekend. It's really shi… I mean… it really sucks when your girlfriend goes to a different school." Looking up at his mom quickly, he added. "Saying 'sucks' isn't going to cost me anything, right?"

"We'll let that one go, I supposed," Esme sighed. "Although it really isn't a very polite word."

Bella made a mental note to try to refrain from using that word around Esme from now on. Turning to Alice she said, "You should go see Jasper too. I know you haven't had a lot of alone time with him this week with everything that went on."

"Are you sure? This is supposed to be our week together."

"It still is," Bella smiled. "But Edward is taking me over to my house for a while to pack up some more things and, besides, I'm not going anywhere."

Alice's face brightened. "All right! I'll go call him now!"

"Hey, what about this mess in the kitchen?" Emmett asked.

"We cooked, so you guys should do the dishes," Alice declared as she breezed up the stairs.

"How the hell is that fair!"

"Emmett!" Esme scolded. "That's another dollar to the swear jar."

"Ah… how am I the only one that keeps slipping up?" Emmett grumbled.

"Sorry, Em," Bella whispered, feeling genuinely bad for him. "Don't worry about the dishes. I'll do them."

"No, that's OK. But, thanks."

"Really, Emmett, I mean it. I'll clean up. Just go call Rosalie so you guys can have some time together today. I don't mind."

"Yeah?" he asked, his face starting to brighten. "You're the best, Bells!"

Esme shook her head at her oldest son and shared a smile with Bella. "Want some help, dear?"

Bella shook her head. "You do enough and I don't mind dishes. I always did them at home. Besides, I'll get Edward to help me."

Raising tired eyes from the plate of pancakes he was still picking at, Edward looked between the two. "What did I just get volunteered for?"

"Nothing yet," Bella told him. "Finish your breakfast."

"You look like you need to go back to bed," Esme told him as she patted his shoulder on her way out.

Bella watched Esme leave and turned back to her sleepy-looking boyfriend. "She's right. You look exhausted."

"I didn't sleep much last night… and not at all after you left."

She reached over and stroked the stubble on his cheek. "Why don't you go back to bed? I'll take care of things down here."

Edward shook his head. "No, I'm good. Let's just clean up and head over to your house while your parents are gone."

"They'll be gone all day. What's the rush?"

"Maybe," Edward grabbed her hand and held it to his lips, "I'm just anxious to be alone with you…"

Bella grinned. "Why didn't you say so in the first place?"

An hour later they were backing out of the Cullen's garage in Edward's Volvo heading towards the Swan's house. The sun was out and it was another unseasonably hot day in Forks. Bella rolled down the window and reached her arm out playfully.

"How long do you think this warm weather will last?" she asked idly. "We're getting spoiled."

"I'll say," Edward replied suggestively, eyeing the low-cut tank top she wore. "I'm going to miss all this bare skin when it's time for sweaters and jackets again."

"Knowing Fork's it might be sweater weather by tomorrow." Bella sighed, "But you might still get to see a little skin… now and then."

"Well, damn, I should hope so!"

They pulled into the familiar driveway, Charlie's cruiser still parked on the street, and Bella felt a twinge in her gut. Home. She hadn't been back here since the morning Jacob and Billy had come over for breakfast and she'd stormed out of the house with Rosalie. That was the day Edward had shown her their meadow; the day Jacob had attacked her and Leah…

She took a deep breath to steady her rising anxiety.

"Hey, are you all right?" Edward asked in concern.

"Yeah," she replied. "It's just a little strange being back here. I know it hasn't been very long but it kind of feels like a lifetime. And it makes me a little sad."

"Sad?"

"Just, sad that things are so different now. I don't even feel comfortable in my own house."

"That won't last forever," Edward told her, placing his hand on her thigh. "You've just been through a lot and it will take some time for you to deal."

"Maybe. I guess we'll see."

"We don't have to go in if you don't feel like it anymore. Your mom would bring your stuff over to you later."

"No, no, I'm fine. It's just a little weird, that's all."

Edward nodded and followed her to the porch without another word. She pulled her key out of her purse and opened the door to the darkened house. Immediately she was hit with the scent of Charlie's fishing jacket hanging on a hook just inside mixing with the faint smell of her mother's paints coming from the back of the house. The familiar aroma caused her stomach to clench again and she paused a moment before turning on the light.

"Well, nothing looks any different," Bella tried to sound nonchalant as they both walked into the living room.

"Did you expect it too after just a few days?"

"I don't know. I guess maybe I did. But everything is the same."

Edward nodded, watching her. "Baby, let's just go upstairs and pack your stuff. I'm not sure if coming over here was the best idea right now."

"I'm fine. Really," Bella smiled, but didn't argue when Edward took her hand and led her up to her room.

"So, what can I help you pack?" he asked, getting strait to the point even as Bella sat down unhurried on her bed.

"I didn't even take my school books to your house," she announced, laughing at herself as she pointed to her book bag on the floor.

"Well, you weren't exactly planning on a long stay at the time."

"True," she said, kicking off her shoes and lying back. "You know, the last time I slept in this bed you were with me…"

"I remember," he gave her a crooked smile. "That was a night of extreme self-control on my part."

"Mine too," she reminded him, reaching out her hand. "I'm not sure I could show that kind of restraint again."

Edward stepped forward to take the hand she offered and let her pull him closer. "You're testing my restraint now, baby. We are in your bedroom after all."

"So?"

"So… that's kind of a turn on."

"Really?"

"Hell yeah. Especially with you lounging there on your pretty little bed all innocent and seductive at the same time…"

Bella giggled as he leaned down to kiss her. "Innocent and seductive, huh?"

"Mmm hmm," Edward nodded his head so their noses bumped. "My mind is going to some very inappropriate places."

"Ooh, tell me…" she begged.

"You really love torturing me, don't you?" he sighed, pulling back.

"Hey, come back here."

"I don't trust myself."

"But that's when you are the most fun."

"Fucking tease."

"Maybe I'm not teasing…"

Edward groaned. "You're killing me. I know it's too soon."

"Says who?" Bella pouted.

"Enough with the torture, shrew. Let's get you packed."

"Oh, fine. Will you hand me that red top folded in the basket over there?"

"Why?" Edward asked as he walked over to retrieve the shirt and tossed it to her.

"Because I'm going to change so I can leave my tank top here to be washed," she explained.

"Right. OK, well, I'll just step out and give you some privacy."

"Edward," Bella laughed. "Why? It's nothing you haven't seen already."

Before he could even respond, Bella pulled her tank top over her head. Whatever retort Edward had been about to make turned into a gasp. Holy shit, was she trying to kill him?

"What?" Bella asked, looking genuinely confused as she took in his shocked face. Glancing down at herself, she suddenly smiled. "Oh. That. Rosalie and Alice bought me a new set. Do you still like it?"

Edward just gaped as she leaned back on her hands to display her nearly naked breasts that were only covered by a thin layer of ivory silk exactly like the bra she'd worn that day in the meadow.

"Fuck, you're gorgeous." He could see the affect his words had on her by the way her pink nipples started to poke against the shear fabric.

Bella watched as he stared at her chest and felt a familiar tightening in her stomach. Waiting be damned; she wanted him.

Standing up slowly she started to unbutton her jeans.

"What are you doing?" Edward managed to get out in a stuttering voice.

"Don't you want to see the whole set?" she whispered innocently, pushing her jeans down over her hips to reveal an equally transparent pair of ivory panties. "They are your favorites, aren't they?"

Edward made a choking sound in reply, but wasn't breathing enough for much else.

The jeans were now at Bella's ankles and she kicked them aside as she started walking around the bed. "What do you think?" she asked, her barely covered ass now on display.

"I think," Edward stammered, breathing hard. "That you should get dressed very quickly."

"What if I don't want to?"

"Bella…"

"What if I want you to get undressed instead?"

"Baby, come on…"

Bella stopped her walking and crawled back onto the bed. "Come here."

"No."

"Please."

"Stop…"

"I want you."

"Oh, fuck, you are killing me."

"Then stop torturing us both and come over here."

"It's too soon."

"I disagree. Now, come over here and kiss me."

Edward's defenses started to crack as she lay back against her pillows in full display. He laughed self-consciously. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

"Well, I should think that was obvious. Why? Isn't it working?"

"It's working too well," he confessed, moving closer to the bed.

"That's nice to know. Will you please kiss me now?"

"I'm afraid I'll hurt you again," Edward said, sitting on the edge of the bed, his chest rising fast as he looked at her.

Bella reached up to caress his face. "I'm not," she whispered as she pulled his head down to kiss his lips.

Edward returned the kiss, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. "Where did playful Bella come from?" he smiled against her mouth.

"You bring her out," she laughed softly. "Especially when you look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Hmmm…. Like you can't breath…"

"That's the way you make me feel," Edward pulled back to look at her. "You take my breath away."

Bella flopped back against the pillows with a devilish grin. "Oh, I love it when you say corny shit like that!"

Edward laughed and attacked her mouth again, his hand moving to trace her collar bone and glide between her breasts. Bella moaned softly and squirmed beneath his touch. Their lips alternated pushing and pulling in a perfect rhythm until they were both breathing heavily.

"You are so soft," Edward whispered against her neck as his fingers skimmed across her bare stomach. His head bent lower to tease her breasts through the thin silk. "So perfect."

Bella arched her back when his mouth closed over her aching nipple and her hands moved to grip his hair. Edward responded by pulling harder with his lips and brushing his tongue over the trapped bud.

"Oh, fuck!" Bella gasped, bucking her hips in reaction. Her whole body felt on fire from the heat he was creating in her and when his hand moved lower to skim across the front of her panties she thought she might come off the bed.

Edward smiled and moved to kiss her stomach, licking her belly button and biting the lace trim at her hip. His fingers pressed against her again and he felt the silk growing damp. When Bella started pulling at the back of his shirt, he took the hint and reached behind to yank it over his head. Her hands moved to his bare chest, franticly stroking from his shoulders to his abs and loving the feel of him beneath her fingers.

"You're perfect too," she told him a moment before his mouth moved to hers again.

The bare skin of their chests pressed together, broken only by the sheer fabric of her bra, and they both moaned at the contact. Edward climbed onto the bed until his whole body covered hers, but Bella quickly rolled him over and reached for the button on his jeans.

"These need to come off," she insisted.

Edward stopped her hand until she looked up at him. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," she answered, smiling brightly. "Don't stop now."

"I love you," he told her releasing her hand and cupping her face.

Bella leaned forward to kiss him. "I love you too… now let me take your pants off."

"Damn, I love it when you get all demanding like that, baby."

"You do, huh?" she asked, returning to undo the button and lowering his zipper. "I'll have to remember that."

He was already hard and straining against his boxer briefs as she helped him pull off his jeans and toss them to the floor. They came together again, arms wrapping around each other as they lay on their sides kissing. Edward gripped Bella's thigh gently and hitched her leg over his waist. She could feel him pressing hard against her wet panties and she knew he could feel her dampness too. Bella rubbed against him and pressed her tongue between his lips, making it very clear what she wanted. Opening his mouth beneath hers, Edward eagerly accepted her tongue inside to glide against his own. His hand moved from her leg to her ass and he repeatedly pulled her against him.

Bella moaned as he rocked their bodies, thrusting against her as he pulled on her tongue. If it were possible she grew even wetter and she knew she wanted him inside her again. As if reading her thoughts, Edward began to pull on the lace of her panties. She felt his hand as it found access to her bare ass and she moaned again.

Edward caressed and kneaded her soft flesh as she squirmed to help him remove the flimsy barrier. Bella reciprocated by grabbing his tight ass through his boxer briefs. When he rolled over on his back Bella sat up on her knees and started tugging on his waistband insistently. Since he didn't take the hint fast enough, she resorted to brushing her hand across the immense bulge straining against them.

"Fuck, baby!" Edward gasped, grabbing her hand. "You're going to push me over the edge."

"Then you'd better hurry up and take these off," she informed him in a sassy tone.

"This first," he countered, lowering the straps of her bra.

Smiling, Bella reached behind her back to undo the clasp and let Edward slowly pull the lace garment off. Once her breasts were free he palmed they both gently, running his thumbs over her tight nipples and causing her head to fall back with a sigh.

Moaning breathlessly, she asked, "Why am I the only one naked?"

Edward smiled in spite of the tension building inside of him. Reluctantly removing his hands from her soft flesh, he made quick work of discarding his remaining clothing. Bella lay back on the pillows again and watched as he turned to hover over her. They were both panting for breath as they kissed each other again.

"I love you so much," Bella mumbled as Edward kissed the side of her neck and placed a hand over one of her tingling breasts. "So… much…"

Edward rolled his whole body on top of hers before responding. "You are my life, Bella." He pulled back to look at her as she spread her legs so he could lie between them. "That's not an exaggeration or a corny cliché. I mean that _you_ are my _life_."

"I know what you mean," she told him honestly, spreading her legs wider so he lay against her. "I know exactly what you mean…"

Edward kissed her, hard. She returned his kiss with just as much enthusiasm and hunger. Without breaking the kiss he placed his swollen tip at her entrance and began to slowly push inside. Bella could feel herself stretching to accommodate his size inch by inch. It wasn't painful, just a bit uncomfortable. Her flesh was still tender, but not as sore as it had been. He moved with excruciating slowness as he continued to pepper her lips with kisses. Their breath mingled together as their bodies joined.

"I can feel you," Bella panted against his mouth, marveling at the new sensations. "I can feel you inside of me."

Edward couldn't find the words to respond and only nodded his head against hers as he struggled to hold back so he didn't hurt her. He pressed forward with a bit more strength and, when she didn't protest, he moved deeper until he was fully imbedded inside her walls.

"Are you… all right?" he panted.

Bella felt a slight burning sensation but it wasn't anything like the pain she'd felt before. "Yes," she told him. "It's OK if you want to move now."

Edward did want to move desperately. He wanted to pull out and slam back into her hard, but he knew he needed to be careful. Pulling back only slightly, he eased himself back into her gently. He repeated the motion several times until he was slowly rocking in and out of her.

Bella put her arms around his back and tried to ease herself into the rhythm. She raised her hips once to meet his thrust and felt a jolt of pressure against her clit.

"Oh, do that again," she moaned. "That felt good."

Edward pulled back and angled himself so he would hit the same spot with more force and Bella raised her hips to meet him again.

"Oh, fuck," she gasped as the wonderful pleasure hit her again. "Just like that."

"Damn, baby, it is so fucking hot when you say that stuff," Edward groaned, pushing into her again and increasing the tempo.

Bella raised her knees and he sank into her even deeper; his pelvic bone hitting the perfect spot with even more force.

She whimpered and Edward rose up on his arms to look at her face. "Are you still all right?" he asked.

"Just don't stop," she replied instantly, her eyes closed and her hands still gripping his back.

Edward couldn't bring himself to stop staring at the look on her face as he continued to thrust in and out of her. She was so tight and felt so incredibly good that he didn't know how much longer he would last. He wanted to make this perfect for her, though, so he concentrated on bringing her to her peak in every way possible.

Bending his head Edward caught one of her nipples in his mouth and played with it with his tongue. He braced himself on one arm while the other reached to where their bodies were joined and rubbed her wet clit as he continued to press inside of her.

Bella thought she might die of sensation overload.

"Edward! Oh, fuck! Edward!" she cried out as her body seemed to explode in pleasure. "I'm… I'm… Ahh!"

Edward felt Bella's walls begin to clench around him and it was more than his resolve could take. His mouth found hers again just as they both started to cry out in pleasure. The sounds were muffled against their lips as their bodies shook and Bella felt the warm rush of Edward inside of her.

They collapsed together on the bed, still joined. Edward's head was pillowed against her neck and Bella's arms were wrapped around his back. For several minutes they just lay there, calming their racing hearts.

"Edward?" Bella finally spoke, smoothing his messy hair. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, hell, yes," he mumbled in reply. "But I should be asking you that."

"I'm fine," she told him.

Edward managed to move then, just enough to see her face. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I feel wonderful."

"Yeah?" A very smug and self-satisfied grin spread across Edward's face at that and Bella had to roll her eyes.

"Yes, stud," she smacked her shoulder playfully. "You were amazing. Happy?"

"Beyond happy," he grinned, placing a quick kiss to her lips.

"Me too," she sighed, and then moaned when she felt him sliding out of her. "That felt nice."

"Careful, woman, or you'll end up starting round two."

"Would that be so bad?"

Edward rolled over to his back and Bella followed to lie on his chest.

"No, it wouldn't be bad at all," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Where are you going?" he asked as Bella sat up.

"I'm cold," she reached for the blanket at the end of the bed and pulled it over the two of them before settling against Edward's chest again. "And a little sleepy."

"Did I wear you out?"

"Oh, hell, there is going to be no living with you now."

Edward chuckled, a very satisfied grin plastered on his face. "Go ahead and rest, sweetheart. We have all day."

"Hmm… that's nice…"

"Actually, when you think about it, we have even longer than that."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… we have forever."

"Forever?" she whispered.

"That's how long I'm going to love you, Bella."

Resting her chin on his chest, Bella looked up at him. "Do you really believe that?" she asked. "Do you think this is forever, Edward?"

"Yes, I do," he nodded. "We had a bumpy start, I'll admit that, but look at how far we've come in just a week."

"We have been through a lot together."

"And we _made_ it through together. So, even though this was the Spring Break from Hell, it ended up happy. That's a pretty good start for us, don't you think?"

Bella smiled in agreement. "A happy ending is a good start."

"Besides, we have something that most couples don't have. We already know what it's like to be enemies."

"And lovers," Bella added. "And friends."

"Yeah, all of that," he smiled. "But you know what else you are?"

"What?"

Edward wrapped his arms around her and kissed her sweetly. "You're _mine_."

"And you're _mine_," she replied, kissing him back. "Forever."

_~The End_

* * *

_**AN: I can't believe I've been writing this story for over**__**2 and a half years and it's finally reached its conclusion**_. _**I hope you will tell me what you thought of the ending and how you feel about the story as a whole now that you've read it all. It would**_ _**a lot to me, as this story really means a lot to me and so do all of you **__**who have been reading it. Thank you so much for reading!**_

_**Alexanya**_


	34. GOOD NEWS!

**GOOD NEWS!**

**_Enemy Mine_ is going to be published!**

**It will be available in paperback or e-book from amazon in about a month. **

******UPDATE*****  
**

**THE RELEASE DATE HAS NOW BEEN MOVED TO FEBRUARY 2013!  
**

**It will be under the title:**

**_Enemy_ _Mine_ by Carrie Ellen Randall**

Does this mean that I will be taking down the fanfiction version of _Enemy Mine_? The answer is NO. I don't want to remove the Edward/Bella version of this story that so many of you have read just because the same story is published in a non-Twilight version. That doesn't seem fair to you readers.

However, to be fair to those who do want to purchase this new version, as I hope many of you will, I am going to include an epilogue to the story that will only be in the version available through amazon . I hope this will satisfy everyone!

If you would like a personal notification of when _Enemy Mine_ is available for purchase on amazon please send an email to Alexanya07 at ya h oo dot c o m.

(Sorry for the strange spacing but apparently fanfiction won't allow you to type an email address or even the name of your email provider, so I had to make it look a little cryptic. I also cannot see the email addresses that have been sent to me through PM, so please resend them to the above address).

Thank you ALL for reading and supporting this story!

~Alexanya


	35. NEW WEBSITE!

**_"Enemy Mine"_**

**Has a new website**

**at**

**carrierandall {dot} livejournal {dotcom}**

I'm sorry that you are still waiting for_ Enemy Mine_ to be available for sale online. I had no idea how long this process would take and the final text is still with the editor. However, to keep you all up-to-date I've created this new journal site (see above) to let you know how things are progressing and maybe share a few **spoilers** on the way to publication.

Please check it out!

I have posted a special "thank you" to all of you there now and I will be posting** the official synopsis of the new book** there within a few days!

Please let me know what you think!

As always, thanks for your encouragement and enthusiasm throughout this long and exciting process!

Carrie Ellen Randall

(aka. Alexanya07)


	36. Synopsis and Book Cover

Please visit my website at

carrierandall {dot} livejournal {dotcom}

I have posted the **synopsis** of the soon to be released version of _"Enemy Mine"_ and the** first mock-up of the cover**.

I'd love to know what you think!

Thanks!

Carrie Ellen Randall

(aka. Alexanya07)


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